WHERE AND WHEN: Etihad Stadium, Friday 22 July, 7.40pm
HEAD TO HEAD: St Kilda 14 wins, Adelaide 18 wins, one draw
LAST TIME: Adelaide 13.12 (90) d St Kilda 9.17 (71), round 6, 2011 at AAMI Stadium
TV, RADIO AND BETTING: Click here for broadcast guide and odds 
A full replay will be available on afl.com.au 12 hours after the completion of the match
FORM: St Kilda: LBWWW Adelaide: LLWBL

SUMMARY
Just when things look their bleakest for 14th-placed Adelaide, having blown a six-goal lead against Essendon last round, the Crows return to their unhappy hunting ground of Etihad Stadium, where they haven't won a match in their past seven attempts.

In fact, Neil Craig's men have lost their last 13 matches in Victoria, dating back to round 22, 2009.

Making matters worse, they run into a St Kilda team starting to show signs of its old finals-winning self.

Owing to their poor start to the season the Saints have left little room for error if they're to participate in this year's September action, but a win against Adelaide would put them right in the frame.

St Kilda's better players, such as Brendon Goddard, Leigh Montagna and Nick Dal Santo, have run into some form, and with six wins from their past eight starts they deserve firm favouritism here.

QUESTION MARKS
Can someone give Scott Thompson a chop-out? The experienced Crows midfielder has been superb week in and week out this year, and he racked up another 37 touches (including 11 clearances) in the loss to the Bombers. But he hasn't had enough help from his still-developing teammates. Rory Sloane and Bernie Vince were both prolific on Friday night and will need to be again.

Is Nick Riewoldt due for a big one? The Saints skipper has been good but hasn't really ripped a game apart like we know he can for a while. Maybe an outing against the down-on-form Crows is his chance.

PREDICTION
St Kilda by 25 points
 
TOYOTA AFL DREAM TEAM WATCH
Young Adelaide key position player Daniel Talia (DEF/FWD, $97,600) looks a decent late-season downgrade option for your bench. Set to rise in price after this week, Talia's first two matches have returned scores of 59 and 76. Given the Crows' lowly position on the ladder, you'd expect the youngster would get plenty of opportunities in the run home.

Follow the game live in the AFL Match Centre on afl.com.au and join the conversation on Twitter using #aflsaintscrows.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL