1. The Blueprint

Want to know how to beat the Crows? Simple, hold their high-powered offence below 100 and they’re ripe for the picking.

Right, if only footy was that simple. 

Although, stats don’t lie.  In all four of their losses this season, Adelaide have been held below 100 points, and last weekend, the Blues clamped down and forced them to grind out a 89-77 win.

But win they did, though sides would have noticed how Carlton’s high pressure, high possession, approach almost got them the W.

This is all easier said than done, obviously, but once thing’s for sure, if the Dogs are to touch back down at Tullamarine with the four points it’s going to have to be a gritty, scrappy affair.

2. Hunting Dogs

It’s no secret that the Bulldogs are at their best when they corral, harass and hunt the opposition.

It’s been a trademark of this group for a couple of years and that pressure will have to be dialled right up to knock off those Crows on Friday night.

The foundation is there: They’re the number one team in the League for tackles (77.6 pg), and importantly, 70% of them stick according to Champion Data, good for second in the League.

They’re also ranked fourth in the AFL for pressure acts; led by Marcus Bontempelli’s 23 per game, which puts him seventh overall (His 99 tackles places him in fifth).

In short, if the Dogs want to sing the song on Friday night, they’ll need to come out snarling from the first bounce.

3. #Mitch100

This will be the second week in a row we’ve talked about Mitch Wallis, and why not, with Wal about to crack the ton.

As the son of 261-game Bulldogs legend Steve Wallis, it just wouldn’t have been right for him to end up anywhere else, although there were some tense moments on draft day, 2010 when Port Adelaide nominated their intention to take him.

Thankfully, that didn’t happen, a 47-touch performance in that year’s TAC Grand Final was probably enough to convince Bulldogs to do what they had to do to secure the then 17-year-old, and the kennel is a much better place for it.

Congratulations on the milestone, Mitch, here’s to many, many more.  

4. To the city of churches and pie floaters

With apologies to all West Australians you don’t get many footy crowds more hostile than our cousins from across the border.

The spit and fury of the old Football Park has indeed migrated up Port Road to the shiny new Adelaide Oval, and we’re not talking about the West End Draft or pie floaters.

Nope, the SA fans are as one-eyed as they come, and it’s one of the loudest arenas in Australian sport, so the Dogs will need to be ready.

That said, the dimensions of ground has more in common with Etihad than it does with the wider expanses of the MCG or Domain, for example, so it will hold no fears for Beveridge’s travelling party.

And on top of that, two of the four Adelaide losses this season have been at home, so they’re gettable.

Is it game time yet?