Adelaide Crows and the Western Bulldogs will close out Finals Week 2 in a sudden death clash at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night. The victor here will move on and face the loser of Sydney vs Brisbane.

The Crows face the Dogs for the third time this season. This time, they’ve had the week off after clinching sixth on the ladder with a 157-101 victory over GWS.

Adelaide will be out to redeem themselves after last year’s miserable finals campaign, where they finished minor premiers before being bounced out in straight sets at home.

They have the perfect opportunity to prove themselves too, an elimination final in front of a sold-out Adelaide Oval.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs earned their September ticket with a nail-biting 96-93 victory over Collingwood in the first-ever Wildcard Final last Friday. Unsurprisingly, Marcus Bontempelli starred for the Dogs in that clash, finishing with 32 touches, 10 score involvements and a goal, while Arthur Jones and Aaron Naughton booted four majors each.

With the pressure dialled up to eleven and no second chances on offer, we’re in for an absolute banger as Jordan Dawson’s Crows take on Bontempelli’s Dogs.

For the latest team news, analysis, and expert insights, check out our Adelaide Crows vs Western Bulldogs Elimination Final prediction and preview below.

Adelaide Crows vs Western Bulldogs Prediction and Betting Tips

Head-to-Head Prediction

The Bulldogs were very good last week against Collingwood, surviving a late scare to keep their premiership dreams alive.

They dominated the midfield battle, winning clearances and forward entries by 19 each, but they will rue coughing up a lead they held for 113 minutes.

Now they jet to South Australia to face the rested, but under pressure Adelaide Crows in a collision that will have major ramifications. The heat is firmly on Adelaide after back-to-back defeats on home soil in last season's finals series and Matthew Nicks' men will be desperate to avoid another straight-sets exit.

When the Dogs went to Adelaide in Round 2, they rolled the Crows by a goal. However, Adelaide flipped the script in Round 14 at Marvel Stadium, smashing the Dogs early and never giving them a look.

That Round 14 clash saw Josh Rachele boot four goals, while Jordan Dawson and Riley Thilthorpe kicked three each in a devastating opening term.

Matt Kennedy unsuccessfully tagged Dawson in that fixture, but he will miss this week with a concussion, so we’ll likely see the Dogs defend without a tagger. The loss of Kennedy is a significant blow to a Dogs midfield already missing the aura of Tom Liberatore.

Thilthorpe has kicked 11 goals from his last three outings against the Bulldogs and will get a favourable match-up inside 50 again, alongside Taylor Walker and Darcy Fogarty.

With the Crows' firepower up front and the Bulldogs missing key midfield enforcers, we expect the home side to find their groove and advance to the second week of finals.

Head-to-head prediction: Adelaide Crows by 26 points.

First Goal Scorer Prediction

Big Tex Walker enters his last finals campaign and potentially his final game, after a glittering career that began way back in 2009.

The veteran spearhead is Adelaide's all-time leading goalkicker and will be itching to get on the board early in front of the parochial Adelaide Oval crowd.

With the Bulldogs' defence looking compromised in recent weeks, Walker will have plenty of opportunities to hit the scoreboard. Expect the Crows to look for their legendary forward early to settle the nerves and kickstart their September campaign.

Betting tip: Taylor Walker.

Most Disposals Prediction

Izak Rankine has come into scintillating form at just the perfect time of year for the Crows. The dynamic playmaker has notched 36, 39, and 35 disposals in his last three matches, thriving with increased midfield minutes.

With the Bulldogs missing key defensive midfield options to clamp down on him, Rankine should have no trouble notching 30-plus touches again this week.

He will be heavily relied upon as he tries to deliver the Crows fans a long-awaited home finals win.

Betting tip: Izak Rankine.

AFL Same Game Multi Tips

Betting tip: Izak Rankine 30+ disposals, Marcus Bontempelli anytime goal scorer, Adelaide to win 1-39, Ben Keays anytime goal scorer.

Odds are subject to change.*

Adelaide Crows vs Western Bulldogs Predicted Teams

Adelaide Crows Predicted Team List

FB: Josh Worrell, James Borlase, Max Michalanney

HB: Wayne Milera, Mark Keane, Rory Laird

C: Brayden Cook, Jordan Dawson, Dan Curtin

HF: Josh Rachele, Riley Thilthorpe, Alex Neal-Bullen

FF: Darcy Fogarty, Taylor Walker, Ben Keays

FOLL: Lachlan McAndrew, Izak Rankine, Sam Berry

I/C: Callum Ah Chee, Jake Soligo, Hugo Hall-Kahan, Isaac Cumming

Western Bulldogs Predicted Team List

FB: Connor Budarick, Buku Khamis, Bailey Williams

HB: Lachie Bramble, James O'Donnell, Bailey Dale

C: Ryley Sanders, Joel Freijah, Cooper Hynes

HF: Cody Weightman, Aaron Naughton, Arthur Jones

FF: Josh Dolan, Rory Lobb, Lachie McNeil

FOLL: Tim English, Marcus Bontempelli, Ed Richards

I/C: Michael Sellwood, Sam Davidson, Luke Kennedy, Rhylee West, Jordan Croft

Adelaide Crows vs Western Bulldogs Match Details

Date: Saturday, September 5, 2026.

First Bounce: 7:35pm AEST

Location: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

How to Watch: Channel 7, Fox Footy/Kayo Sports