Adelaide recruit Bryce Gibbs is ready to put his Carlton friendships on hold but reckons the Blues will climb the AFL ladder sooner rather than later.
Gibbs will come up against his former side for the first time on Saturday night when the Crows host the bottom-placed Blues at Adelaide Oval.
The star midfielder was granted a trade to return to his native Victoria at the end of last season, having been blocked from joining the Crows a year earlier.
Things have since unravelled badly for the Blues, whose 0-6 win-loss record is the worst start to a season in the club's 122-year VFL/AFL history.
Gibbs, who spent 11 years at Carlton before joining the Crows, has backed the Blues' leaders to ensure they bounce back from their form slump.
"They are doing it a little bit tough at the moment but I know the strong characters they've got in that group and the leaders who would no doubt be driving them each week to improve," he said on Monday.
"They certainly go out each week thinking they can win that game of footy. It'll be no different this week so we have to respect that."
The Blues played finals in 2013 but have finished in the bottom six every year since.
A finals berth is highly unlikely this season but Gibbs said the Blues had enough young talent to be in contention soon enough.
"Who knows, it might not take two or three years for them. It can jump pretty quick," Gibbs said.
"They went back to the draft and they tried to get some talent though the door.
"They've got some really exciting players - Zac Fisher, Charlie Curnow, Paddy Dow - the fans can be excited.
"Although the wins aren't showing that, they're definitely on the right track."
Gibbs remains close friends with Kade Simpson, Dale Thomas and several other Blues but is expecting a hostile reception from his former teammates on Saturday night.
"There'll be no friendships for two hours," Gibbs said.
"After the game, we'll shake hands and everything will be back to normal.
"It'll be a fierce and competitive contest and we'll be out trying to knock each other's block off, no doubt."
