Crows expect Jekyll, but will Dockers turn up as Hyde?

Adelaide are preparing for the Fremantle side that has won on two of their past three visits to AAMI Stadium - not the one blitzed by lowly Richmond at home last week.

The split personality disorder often associated with the Dockers was never more evident than in the past fortnight, when they followed a stirring derby win over West Coast with a limp-wristed surrender to the Tigers in front of a stunned Subiaco crowd.

Crows forward Ken McGregor, due to play his 150th match this week, said Adelaide expected the Dockers to provide a strong reaction, much as they did last year in beating the Crows the week after the departure of senior coach Chris Connolly.

Connolly’s Dockers also won a minor round meeting between the teams here in 2006, though the Crows were able to win from behind in a qualifying final, also at AAMI, that September.

“You look at their list and they’re extremely talented, they’ve got some great players there who can play really good footy any day, so we’ve got to plan for them to play brilliant footy,” McGregor said today.

“We can’t control what they’re going to bring, but all I know is the boys are really pumped up and we know what we can give to the game on Saturday, and we’re going to throw our bodies in, we’re going to want the ball and be 100 per cent committed.”

McGregor said the Crows themselves were guilty of not playing to character against Hawthorn last week, as a slack defensive performance was rewarded with a 44-point defeat in Launceston.

“I didn’t think it was our normal hard tackling, hard running, attacking footy, we didn’t show that,” he said.

“Last week wasn’t the norm, it wasn’t us.

“Our tackling wasn’t good enough and our pressure as well, our chasing, and where we positioned ourselves to stop (Hawthorn’s run) was also pretty bad.”

Youngster Bryce Campbell is in doubt to be fit for Saturday’s match with ankle soreness, meaning numerous other young performers are queuing up for a chance to debut.

Adelaide’s No.1 draft selection last year, Patrick Dangerfield, small forward Jarrhan Jacky and midfielder Andy Otten are all considered close to the mark.

The Crows are after a third home win from as many matches, as they seek to return a trip to Adelaide to its historic place as one of the league’s most feared road trips.

“That’s something we’ve focused on, we want to make it hard for teams coming over here, if you win most of your games here you’re on the way to the finals,” McGregor said.

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