Carlton will return to the MCG on Saturday eager to bounce back and reign supreme in what’s set to be a tough wrestle with the Adelaide Crows. 

The Blues will enter the match on the back of a 26-point loss to Richmond, but the Crows will be just as keen to make amends after succumbing to a 14-point defeat to Hawthorn on their home turf.

After a 6-0 start to the season, the Crows have lost four of their past seven games and currently sit in second place on the ladder with nine wins and four losses.

In the lead-up to the Round 15 clash, Adelaide coach Don Pyke said his charges would need to be back to their best if they’re to get the better of Carlton, which he said had “quality in all lines”.

“We’ve got to return to playing our best footy, consistently,” Pyke told the media on Wednesday. 

“Our contested stuff was really strong in the first half last week (against Hawthorn) … we let that slip in the second half which was disappointing. 

“We need to respond against a Carlton side which has proven to be very strong defensively and has beaten some good sides.” 

On Saturday afternoon the teams will meet for the 36th time, with the match to mark their fifth consecutive encounter at the home of footy. 

While Adelaide has won the last two, the Blues will be out to ensure the head-to-head ledger, currently 18 to 17 in their favour, remains to their advantage.

In the most recent hit-out between the sides – Round 16, 2016 – the Crows flew far too high for the Blues to register a 60-point win. 

In that match midfielders Bryce Gibbs and Patrick Cripps performed strongly for the Blues, but their efforts were overshadowed by a dominant Adelaide outfit which finished with 102 more disposals than Carlton.

While the Crows had only eight more inside-50s in that game, they made their entries count with three goals each to Eddie Betts, Sam Jacobs and Josh Jenkins, as well as single goals to seven other Crows.

As the highest-ranked side for points scored and marks taken inside 50 in 2017, Adelaide will enter the match capable of repeating history, but the Blues will take the field confident they can nullify Adelaide’s attack, having conceded an average of 88 points a game this season - a stat set to concern the Crows who have lost every time they’ve been held to under 100 points in 2017. 

This weekend’s match will see Adelaide line up without forwards Tom Lynch (illness) and Charlie Cameron (wrist), but the load on the Blues’ backmen will remain high with Crows captain Taylor Walker and ex-Carlton man Betts, sitting eighth and third respectively in the competition’s top 10 goalkickers. 

For the Blues, former Crow Matthew Wright will be eager to find the centre sticks against his old side, but said a collective effort would be required to secure the four points. 

“They’re (Adelaide) a pretty potent team at the minute,” Wright told FIVEaa radio on Thursday. 

“They’ve got some fantastic players and they can all hit the scoreboard so it’s going to take another team effort. 

“We’ve planned strongly again this week. We’ve got some good systems in place, it’s just about executing them on the day.” 

Carlton will be without its No.1 run-with player Ed Curnow, who seemed destined to match up with star Crow Rory Sloane until a bruised larynx ruled him out.

Sloane, who is currently ranked fourth in the Schick AFL Player Ratings, has been Adelaide's barometer this season, averaging 28 disposals in wins but just 18 in losses.

He could receive close attention from former teammate Sam Kerridge, who is among six inclusions to the Carlton side which suffered a 26-point defeat to Richmond.

The hard-running midfielder joins Ciaran Sheehan, David Cuningham, Zac Fisher, Simon White and Liam Sumner as the inclusions, replacing Curnow, Jed Lamb (concussion), Samo Petrevski-Seton (managed) and omitted trio Blaine Boekhorst, Jarrod Pickett and Billie Smedts.

Carlton will host Adelaide at the MCG on Saturday from 2:10pm. Click here to purchase your tickets and be there to support the Blues in the first of three consecutive home clashes at the ‘G.