Gold Coast v Adelaide, People First Stadium Saturday, April 5, 12.20pm AEST

Last time: Gold Coast 8.12 (60) d Adelaide 8.6 (54), R1 2024

What it means

Gold Coast (2-0) hosts one of the club’s biggest games yet as it takes on Adelaide with both sides on a similar trajectory and hoping to climb from outside the eight last year as high as the top four. The Suns have already secured a pair of emphatic victories but could send a warning shot across the competition with another win that would take them to 3-0 for just the second time in their 15 seasons.

Adelaide (3-0) is now living up to the promise that had been brewing across a lengthy rebuild but few could have predicted the belated rise would come with such a rush. The Crows have not only triumphed in all three of their matches so far but done so by an average 53 points while also winning every quarter, and could now claim top spot from the Hawks with a win over the emerging Suns.

Game shapers

Bailey Humphrey has been widely tipped to take the competition by storm since a hugely promising debut season in 2023. The powerful forward has now developed the tank that allows him to also spend additional time in the midfield where he can make more of his robust style and has quickly doubled the amount of ball he is finding with an average 21.5 disposals a game.

Riley Thilthorpe made the most of his time on the sidelines in recent years to develop the size and shape that will strike fear into the heart of opposition defenders. The 22-year-old looms as one of the most capable second rucks in the game but has shown across the Crows' blistering start to the season that he can do even more damage near goal with three goals in each of their three matches.