AN ADELAIDE gun may hold the key to combatting the Western Bulldogs, and it's not Jordan Dawson or Izak Rankine, according to three-time premiership champion Michael Voss.

The Crows will go into the elimination final against the Bulldogs on Saturday night as favourites as they look for their first finals win since 2017.

Voss believes Josh Worrell, who is ninth in the competition for average intercept possessions, could have an important role to play, similar to the one Billy Frampton executed in Collingwood's wildcard loss to the Bulldogs.

Only Sydney averages more intercept possessions than Adelaide this season, with Worrell joined by the likes of Mark Keane, Wayne Milera and Jordon Butts as important interceptors.

And Voss believes that part of the game will be pivotal to stopping the Bulldogs on Saturday night.

"This would be about small ball for the Dogs. When we think about the interceptors of Adelaide, you have to take it off them," he said on AFL.com.au's Finals Film Room.

"Worrell is so good at being able to generate their intercepts. He's not the only one."

Voss said the Crows may use Worrell to manage "that slingshot or fast transition against them".

But he noted the Dogs' intense pressure and ability to win loose balls, with Luke Beveridge's side ranked second for groundball gets differential in 2026.

"The one thing they did do was get busy on the floor. When the ball hit the deck, watch the numbers come. This is the pressure they've been able to build in the back half of the year," Voss said.

"Whether it was (Matt) Kennedy, whether it was (Rhylee) West, whether it was (Arty) Jones, (Sam) Davidson was also joining in as well.

"That is the type of pressure they're going to have to bring to Adelaide Oval to beat the Crows."

Crows star Izak Rankine missed last year's finals series due to a ban for a homophobic slur, but enters this September in fine form.

Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd said Adelaide played without dare at the pointy end last year on its way to a straight-sets exit, and that Rankine will be one of the keys to going further this season.

"They were really underwhelming," he said.

"Choke is a strong word, but they played really safe. They played really safe footy."