Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks all but ruled out Izak Rankine from spending more time up forward following Josh Rachele's injury in Round 3.
After a faultless start by the improving Crows, the first hiccup came as Rachele was downed with broken ribs from a marking contest, and is expected to miss at least a month of football.
Rankine, who has been blistering form after an increase to his midfield minutes, won't be the answer inside 50 for Nicks, and is likely to look to the reserves side for reinforcements.
Sam Berry was impressive in the SANFL, kicking two goals from 22 disposals, while small forward Lachlan Murphy was also one of the club's best.
"We would love to keep him (Rankine) around the footy โ we'd love two of him, to be honest, another one forward," Nicks said.
"He complements the guys in and around the footy, they're all making each other better.
"Matt Crouch is a different player to Izak Rankine and the two of them together make quite a duo.
"And then Jordan Dawson and (Jake) Soligo's game is going to another level. Peatling, I thought on the weekend, had his best game for us.
"We're going to need a lot of guys through that midfield because the challenge doesn't get much bigger than what we get this week."
A part of the discussion around the team's balance is the ongoing questions surrounding Taylor Walker and Sid Draper, who, ironically, are at opposite ends of their careers.
Walker and Nicks are in constant dialogue about managing the veteran throughout the season, while Draper is building his loads and readiness for senior football as the starting to sub.
"We go a six-day break into a five-day break and that's an ongoing conversation that Tex and I are having daily," Nicks said.
"He won't do a lot today (Wednesday).
"There's a reality to it, but there's also a momentum piece where it's โdon't flirt with that, we know how tough it is to play the footy we have been right throughout the year. '
"Tex makes us a more balanced footy team. We feel like we perform better with the way he helps a Darcy Fogarty or a Sid Draper if he's forward of the ball. There's an experience and aura he brings, taking the best defender more often than not.
"We'd love him there every week, but he's got to be able to perform at a level that makes us better, so we're just trying to balance that."
Adelaide comes up against a rampaging Gold Coast outfit, who, like the West Lakes club, are yet to put a foot wrong in 2025.
Last week, the AFL world was put on notice following the performance, and some would say the dismantling of Melbourne that Matthew Rowell, Noah Anderson and Touk Miller produced, rivalling some of the game's best trios in the midfield.
"There are some great midfields in the competition," Nicks added.
"But this (Gold Coast) is probably the pick of them and they're in some rare form.
"Rowell is playing his best footy โ he does start the season really well when he's fresh, there's a reason he was such a highly regarded selection in the draft; Anderson alongside him โ so it's never-ending.
"We've got our work cut out for us."
In the corresponding clash last year, the Suns got ahold of Adelaide in wet conditions at People First Stadium, claiming the victory by six points.
