OFF THE field they're the best of friends, but on Saturday night at AAMI Stadium, Brenton Sanderson and Nathan Buckley will be arch-enemies.
The Adelaide and Collingwood rookie coaches lived together as Magpies teammates in 1994, and Sanderson is godfather to Buckley's eldest son, Jett.
Buckley said he expected to catch up for a coffee with Sanderson in the lead up to the clash, but the Crows coach said the friendship would be parked outside the ground on game day.
"There might be some bragging rights until we play them again, but I think once the ball is bounced it will be all systems go," he said.
"We're both young in our coaching careers and hopefully it's the first of many games [in which] we take on each other.
"Taking on my best mate in the opposition's coaches box is a small story in the bigger picture, but I'm certainly looking forward to it and I know Nathan is too."
The Crows smashed Collingwood by 77 points in the third round of this year's NAB Cup and, while Buckley said he had enjoyed watching his mate win since then, he didn't want to see it again this weekend.
“We had a dress rehearsal in the NAB Cup and they knocked us over by 70 points or so and clearly have continued their fantastic form," he said on Fox Footy's On the Couch.
"It’s great to see a good friend of mine succeed … but hopefully not this weekend.”
The Magpies certainly have their work cut out for them, with Adelaide enjoying its best-ever start to an AFL season by winning seven of its first eight games.
With a new coach at the helm and the team flying, some have begun to draw comparisons to the 1997 season when, under first-year coach Malcolm Blight, the Crows secured their first premiership.
Like Blight did in 1997, Sanderson has taken over as coach after the club suffered a forgettable season the year before.
But Sanderson said he wouldn't be seduced into sharing such "romantic" views, claiming the Adelaide unit of 2012 wanted to make its own history.
"There's a lot of romance involved in reflecting on and comparing teams and squads to different eras, but we've just got to get on with business here," he said.
"It's a different season, it's a different team.
"They're a really unique group and I'm sure they'd want to make their own statement this season."
The Crows will get another opportunity to make a statement on Saturday night in a contest that is shaping as the match of the round.
Despite Buckley labeling Adelaide as "clearly the form side of the competition", Sanderson said his team would have to play well to secure the four points against a side that has won its last five games.
"There's a little bit of mind games in that - the 'Pies aren't going too badly either," he said.
"With the injuries that they've had to some key personnel and to be playing how they're playing, they certainly deserve some credit.
"We'll have to be at our best to beat them."
Harry Thring covers Adelaide news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry
