Adelaide will be looking to keep its finals hopes alive when it hosts an in-form Gold Coast outfit at Unley Oval on Saturday afternoon. 

The Crows come into the match full of confidence after a comprehensive 32-point win against Richmond last week, and eager to take a top four scalp in the Suns. 

Senior Coach Ryan Davis spoke to the media ahead of the match, and touched on the following. 

Battling the in-form Suns 

Davis admitted contest and pressure would be two decisive factors in deciding Saturday afternoon’s clash at Unley Oval. 

He said his team understood the task at hand, and would relish a contested style of game. 

“They (the Suns) have been on a fantastic run, haven't they? The contest is going to be really important for us to get that going our way,” Davis said.

“They've got a lot of speed and so do we, so being able to tick some things off in and around the contests and matchups that we might have, it's going to go a long way for us winning the game of footy.

“We are one of the best pressure teams and the best tackling team in the competition. So that part of our game is in really good shape and hopefully we can get our offense going on the back of that.”

Update on Chelsea Biddell 

All-Australian defender Chelsea Biddell will miss the clash against the Suns after suffering a minor hamstring injury. 

Davis gave an update on his star defender, and how they would cover for her on Saturday afternoon. 

“I think it was just a minor hamstring strain, so it should be a week or two, we’re not too sure just yet, but she was training this morning, moving at sort of 80, 85 percent,” Davis said.

“She's an incredible player, you probably don't fill Chelsea's void, but we have a lot of players in their own part of the ground who can step up and play a role. 

“I think we saw last week young Ava Stewart on debut did some impressive things, and she's got a long career ahead of her. The way she played, being able to close the distance, coming forward to defend some really good spoils in there, so I think she's going to have a good day out as well. 

“It's going to be a team effort, and we feel we've got the players down there to make the impact that we need.”

Chloe Bown’s rapid development

First-year Crow Chloe Bown has gone from strength-to-strength throughout her maiden AFLW campaign. 

Beginning her career across half-forward, the talented junior has forced her way into the midfield and impressed, with her 23 disposal performance against the Tigers a sign of her immense talent. 

Davis said it was exciting to watch Bown’s improvement, and was keen to give her more opportunities through the midfield. 

“I think the way she's developed this year has been unreal, setting some games into her through the half forward line, she's starting to get her tank up, her high-speed running, starting to get to a really good level," Davis said. 

“So I think she'll be a bit more of a mainstay there (in the midfield) for the rest of the year, and as we saw over the last couple of weeks, she's really relishing in that role.”

Importance of the game in context of season

Adelaide will need to win this game to keep in touch with the top eight as the home and away season approaches its conclusion. 

The Crows sit in tenth spot on the ladder with four wins and five losses, meaning they need to continue winning to keep their finals hopes alive.

“As per usual, every game is very important, early wins are very important in the season, so having dropped a couple of those each week has been imperative for us,” Davis said. 

“But also on the long-term lens, we've been adding to our game style, adding the bigger rocks to our offense, our contest, our defense. 

“We prepare just like any other week, and every week now has got a fair bit attached to it.”

Versatility of Eloise Jones

Vice Captain Eloise Jones has been a swiss army knife for the coaching staff this season, showcasing her versatility by playing a number of different roles. 

Davis explained how much of an asset it was to have a player of Jones’ quality able to have an impact across the entire field. 

“Eloise is an extremely versatile player, and she played a little bit through the midfield on the weekend, played down back and played up forward,” Davis said.  

“Having that versatility throughout our list has been something that we value very highly across all of our players. But we'll definitely see her pop up across all three lines throughout the remainder of the season.”

Adelaide takes on Gold Coast at Unley Oval this Saturday afternoon, with the match to start at 12.35pm (ACDT). 

Get your tickets here.