Adelaide expects a desperate Fremantle to fully test the Crows' red-hot midfield despite the Dockers' winless start to the AFL season.
The home side will go into Saturday's clash at Adelaide Oval unchanged and full of confidence after falling just three points short of beating reigning premiers Hawthorn at the MCG.
The Dockers have regained captain David Mundy but are missing key players Nat Fyfe (broken leg), Aaron Sandilands (ribs) and Michael Johnson (hamstring) and look a shadow of the team that claimed the minor premiership last year.
But Adelaide assistant coach David Teague says that's no reason to write off Fremantle, who may capitalise if Saturday's forecast possible rain produces a scrappy contest better suited to their strengths.
"Fremantle have been a really good defensive side for a long time," he said on Friday.
"They limit your inside-50s and then they can trap the ball in their front half and pin you down there.
"The challenge for us will be winning the contested ball, getting the game played in our half and making sure from there that we hit the scoreboard.
"If it rains it'll probably just make it a greater contest. It's something we pride ourselves on and it's something we want to step up and play against another team that are good in the contest."
For the first time this season, Adelaide will start raging favourites on the weekend.
Teague said the 3-2 Crows couldn’t afford to be complacent despite Fremantle’s disappointing start.
“It’s different to the other games, but I don’t think our players buy into that too much. We’ll focus on what we can control, and the things we’ve been working on,” he said.
“We need to be at our best. I think the competition has showed that if you’re off by five per cent, anyone can win,” he said.
In a sign of the Club’s current depth, promising pair Brad Crouch and Wayne Milera Junior will both return from short-term injuries in the SANFL.
Teague acknowledged both players had displayed good form prior to getting injured, but said the 22 players in the AFL team all deserved their spots.
“There are some guys putting real pressure on from beneath,” he said.
“At the moment, the guys are playing really well together. That’s what we’ve loved, the evenness. It’s a team. It’s not individuals standing up. It’s the group playing well together.”
Crouch, who played the opening two AFL games of the season, will line up against South Adelaide on Sunday after missing three games with a hamstring injury.
The Crows are conscious of managing the 22-year-old, who missed all of last season with a foot injury.
"We think he's going to be a long-term player for us," Teague said.
"We want to be smart. We understand it's a long season and we want to make sure that he's firing at the end of the season."
