Preview: Adelaide v Geelong

VENUE & TIME: AAMI Stadium, Friday 4 July, 8:10pm AEST.

HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 26, Adelaide 14, Geelong 12, Draws 0.

LAST TIME: Geelong 15.13 (103) def. Adelaide 10.10 (70), Round 19, 2007 at Skilled Stadium.

WALKING WOUNDED: Adelaide used its week off to book Andrew McLeod in for a knee clean-out. It should see him back to his best in the latter rounds of the year but he'll definitely miss the game against the Cats as he recovers from the minor surgery. Trent Hentschel has been close to making an AFL comeback but injured his ankle in the SANFL a few weeks ago. The club says he's progressing well but is unlikely to be selected by the Crows in Round 14. Meanwhile Kris Massie and Brad Symes have overcome their niggling injuries and one of them may replace McLeod. Geelong's full back Matthew Scarlett (hamstring) and Matthew Stokes (knee) are available to play and will bolster an already impressive line-up while Shannon Byrnes (foot) and David Johnson (hamstring) are making their comebacks in the VFL.

FORM:Adelaide has slipped back to the pack after losing its last two games against the Brisbane Lions and Hawthorn. The match against the Hawks was a classic battle, and could have gone either way, but the clash at the Gabba was less impressive with the team falling into some stagnant and defensive patterns of the past. Geelong has been winning all season but has rediscovered its very best form against some of the competition's struggling sides. In Round 13 the Cats thumped the West Coast Eagles by 135 points at Subiaco and the week before they ignored the Power's rough-house tactics to win by 10 goals. Their only loss of season came in Round 9 when they were thrashed by the Magpies.

WHO'S HOT: Michael Doughty is having the best year of his career and is part of Adelaide's emerging midfield brigade. The Crows struggled against the Lions in their last game but Doughty managed to collect 38 disposals. The Geelong side is collectively running hot with 13 of its players collecting 21 disposals or more in the game against West Coast. Gary Ablett remains the Cats' most eye-catching player and would've collected more Brownlow Medal votes at Subiaco with his 37-possession, two-goal performance. He is one slippery customer and is sure test Adelaide's steady defence.

WE THINK: It's hard to find a weakness in Geelong's line-up with a forward line that's firing (Paul Chapman and Cam Mooney kicked five goals each in their last match), a busy midfield that shares the load and a defence that will be strengthened by the return of Scarlett. The Cats have won their last two games against the Crows which included a rare win at AAMI Stadium last year. Over confidence is the only potential concern for the reigning premiers who've done it easy against in their past two matches. Adelaide is a more consistent performer than the Eagles and the Power and will provide a sterner test. The Crows are desperate to return to the winners' circle and nearly always push opponents to their limits, regardless of where they sit on the ladder, when they are playing at West Lakes. McLeod is a big loss for the home side's defence but expect Robert Shirley to match up on the dangerous Ablett. The South Australian team needs to regain the flare and dash they displayed earlier in the season or could face their worst loss of the season. The Cats to break free from the Crows in the final quarter. Geelong by 25 points.