ADELAIDE is on guard against Essendon's mosquito fleet attack, especially in-form livewire Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, in Friday night's crucial encounter at Adelaide Oval.

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McDonald-Tipungwuti booted four goals, including the match-winner, in the Bombers' stirring five-point victory over North Melbourne last weekend.

But key defender Daniel Talia said the Crows couldn't put all their focus on McDonald-Tipungwuti, with Orazio Fantasia, Jayden Laverde and Jake Stringer forming part of a dangerous Bombers forward line that prides itself on tackling pressure and locking the ball inside their attacking 50m arc.

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti sealed Essendon's third straight win. Picture: AFL Photos

"McDonald-Tipungwuti's the one, he kicked four last week and the game-winner," Talia said.

"His ability to use the ball inside the forward 50 is really impressive as well, so we're going to have to keep an eye on him.

"Fantasia seems to get four or five shots at goal every game.

"We're going to have to be really good defensively to stop those two, plus Laverde and Stringer … they've got a lot of options up there."

Both teams have identical 9-7 win-loss records heading into the clash, with the Crows in seventh, ahead of the eighth-placed Bombers by 10.4 per cent.

The Crows are desperate to make amends for their most recent home game, when they were blown off the park by Port Adelaide in a 57-point Showdown shellacking two weeks ago.

We're going to have to be really good defensively … they've got a lot of options up there - Daniel Talia on Essendon's forwards

"We were really poor in the Showdown and it was unacceptable," Talia said.

"We're going to have to bring a lot better effort tomorrow night to get the win against a good team.

"We played well (in a 95-point win against Gold Coast) last week and we've got to keep that form against a top-eight team in Essendon."

A win against the Bombers could set up the Crows for a push towards the top four.

They have winnable games against Carlton (away) and St Kilda (home) in the next fortnight, followed by difficult encounters against last year's Grand Finalists West Coast (away) and Collingwood (home) before finishing off the home and away season against the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat.

Talia said it was too early to consider the implications of a strong run home.

"There's probably 12 clubs that feel they can make finals and feel like they're a shot of winning it, but you've got to get there first," he said.

"We're under no illusion we've got to play some better footy and beat some good teams, so tomorrow night's the start of that."

Forward Tom Lynch (calf) is in line for his first game since round 11 after getting through training on Thursday, while defenders Luke Brown (back), Alex Keath (ankle) and Brodie Smith (illness) are also expected to play.

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