Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson has hinted at a marquee match-up against his Carlton counterpart Patrick Cripps in the opening clash of the AFL's Gather Round.
Dawson has moved from defence to the midfield in the past two matches - and both have been wins for his Crows ahead of Thursday night's encounter against the unbeaten Blues.
Dawson has been a star performer in both games - a fact noted by Cripps.
"He has been pretty good, hasn't he, probably best-on (ground) in the last two games," Cripps told reporters on Wednesday.
"The best thing about him is he's tough, he's efficient, he damages you.
"But they have got a lot of weapons in there ... our job as a midfield is to try and win that battle and get territory."
Dawson, asked if he would play on Carlton's prime mover Cripps, tried to remained tight-lipped.
"I can't say. We will probably come across each other a bit more than we have in the past," he said.
"I'm looking forward to it. Going into the midfield, I have enjoyed it ... I'm loving my time in there."
Dawson said his seventh-placed Crows were relishing the prospect of hosting the Blues, who have banked three consecutive wins after a season-opening draw.
"We know how good their footy can be," he said.
"They're the benchmark. They haven't lost for a reason."
Cripps' fellow midfielder Sam Walsh will play his first game of the season after recovering from a back injury.
"He has done a huge block of work," Cripps said,
"He has been pretty patient with it, the way he has rehabbed has all gone to plan ... I expect him to come in and hit the ground running.
"He probably put his hand up (for selection) two weeks ago ... the club just held him back to make sure he's right.
The Blues also recalled from injury on-ballers Matthew Kennedy and Blake Acres.
"Adelaide play a really contested brand of footy so they (Kennedy and Acres) are going to be really important to the way we play," Cripps said.
Carlton axed Lochie O'Brien and Josh Honey, while Sam Docherty will be unavailable for at least a month because of a knee injury.
Adelaide named key forward Darcy Fogarty, who has missed two games with a knee injury, while also picking Luke Pedlar after his one-match suspension.
The Crows dropped Ned McHenry and young forward Lachlan Gollant.
