Three weeks separate Geelong and their midseason bye but it is an important trio of games, starting with a trip to Adelaide to take on the Crows this Thursday.
The Cats will be looking to bounce back but they still sit in the top four on the ladder, despite falling to Carlton last week.
Adelaide will present a strong challenge on their home deck, with last year's minor premiers currently inside the top eight and coming off their bye week.
While they are not the highest scoring team in the competition, the Crows have been one of the stingiest defences and they have won four consecutive games at Adelaide Oval, something Geelong will need to combat on Thursday night.
Take a look through some of the strongest aspects of Adelaide's game with the Cats' Opposition Analysis, proudly presented by Deakin University.
2026 Ladder
Adelaide: 8th (6-5)
Geelong: 4th (8-4)
Recent Games
2026, Round 3 - Geelong 9.14 (68) def Adelaide 9.6 (60)
2025, Round 5 - Adelaide 15.10 (100) def. by Geelong 18.11 (119)
2024, Round 21 - Geelong 13.12 (90) def Adelaide 13.7 (85)
2024, Round 2 - Adelaide 11.11 (77) def. by Geelong 14.12 (96)
Deakin Performance Stat of the Week
Nullifying Adelaide's Defence and Hitting the Scoreboard
Through their first 11 games of the season, Adelaide has conceded 910 points to opposition teams at an average of 82.7 points per game, which is the fourth fewest total points conceded of any team in the competition.
It is not by accident that they are so strong in this area, ranking among the AFL's best in a number of key defensive stats to this point of the 2026 season.
The Crows rank second in the league for intercept possessions with an average of 71.1 per game, while also able to clean up the ball when it hits the ground, ranking second with an average of 20.5 defensive 50 ground ball gets per game.
They also average 14.9 intercept marks per game, 32.7 spoils and score 52.8 points per game from turnovers, which are both well above the AFL average in 2026.
Not only do they impact contests defensively, but Adelaide also bring extreme pressure in all areas of the ground, ranked as the number one team for tackles with an average of 66.4 per game, nearly five tackles per game more than the next best team.
Adelaide's Stats
| Statistic | Average Per Game |
AFL Rank |
| Intercept Possessions | 71.1 | 2nd |
| D50 Ground Ball Gets | 20.5 | 2nd |
| Intercept Marks | 14.9 | 7th |
| Spoils | 32.7 | 4th |
| Points from Turnovers | 52.8 | 8th |
Quelling Jordan Dawson's Impact
With some key Crows in doubt for this week's clash, there is one player that stands out as a threat for Geelong above the rest and that is Adelaide's captain, Jordan Dawson.
The star Crow is averaging 25.5 disposals, 5.5 marks and 5.1 tackles per game in 2026, building another sensational campaign after finishing fourth in last year's Brownlow Medal.
Dawson poses a threat because he is able to play across every line, currently averaging 4.0 intercept possessions, 5.5 score involvements and 5.1 inside 50s per game, utilising his elite skills to help Adelaide at both ends of the ground.
He has also proven ultra effective in front of the big sticks, kicking nine goals from eight games this year and hitting the scoreboard in seven consecutive matches.
Dawson could certainly be a leading contender as Oisin Mulin's primary matchup for this week, but limiting the influence of Adelaide's captain will be crucial for Geelong on Thursday night.
Shutting Down Their Kicking Game
Another week presents another unique game style for the Cats to try and nullify, with Adelaide a predominantly heavy kicking team in comparison to some of the handball-heavy sides Geelong have faced recently.
The Crows rank first in the AFL this season with an average of 6,089 kick metres gained per game, one of only two teams in the competition that average over 6,000 metres gained from that source.
They possess the third high kick to handball ratio, choosing to go by foot with 61.3% of their disposals which bucks the trend of 2026, which has seen teams utilise the forward handball to impact games.
Adelaide have certainly chosen to go a different route, ranking 18th in the competition for handball metres gained per game (103.6), far less than Geelong to this point of the season (437.1).
