Adelaide has tapped into coaching director Murray Davis' profound knowledge of Brisbane as the club prepares for a mouth-watering contest on Friday night at the Adelaide Oval.
Davis joined the Crows following the Lions' premiership triumph in 2024, putting an end to a glittering 13-year career in Queensland.
Crows coach Matthew Nicks wasn't shy in saying he leaned on his coaching director to "lock in" on the reigning premiers.
"We go into this game knowing what they will do," Nicks said.
"It's a matter of whether you are able to stop it or not.
"But our oppo (opposition analysis) this week has been reasonably thorough, having Murray Davis inside our four walls."
Davis played a pivotal role in ending Brisbane's 21-year premiership drought, and is hoping that with his experience and expertise, the Crows' 27-year dry spell could also be halted.
"We have spoken a lot since Murray arrived about how they went about things on their journey and their build, how they got to a premiership last year, how Fages (Fagan) operates," Nicks said.
"There are so many things that we have looked at, and some we have implemented.
"We watched a lot of what they have done from afar ... been incredibly impressed with the way they have built, their patience.
"They're a club that should be proud of the way they went about it, and they are going to have sustained success off the back of that.
"There's no doubt we look at a lot of clubs across the league ... and Brisbane is certainly right up the top."
As for Friday's clash, veteran Rory Laird will regain his place in the senior side after being managed for the trip to Sydney.
"We'll bring Laird back in," Nicks said.
"At this point, we'll make a decision in the coming 24 hours with what we do, whether it's a little taller.
"We've got a nice balance at the moment when it comes to experience… at the moment that balance is working well for us."
Whereas talented draftee Sid Draper will be sent to the SANFL after playing the past four weeks either as the sub or being pulled from the game.
Draper has played nine AFL games, but has been on limited minutes on seven occasions, which Nicks said he's handled professionally.
"Sid's going to go back (to SANFL) and will play a full game for us,” Nicks said.
"I think he's enjoyed it (being the sub), he's enjoyed the challenge, but I'm very understanding of how tough that role can be, even for an experienced player.
"It sounds simple, 'just go on and play and you'll be fresher than everyone else', but it's not that simple, sitting on the bench and watching a game of footy, then coming on.
"He seems that he's the perfect player for it at this point, early in his career. Slightly shorter game, he's an explosive player.
"He's embracing the fact he'll go back and get some full games of footy in and really work on trying to get himself right and impact, hopefully, in a full (AFL) game."
