St Kilda coach Alan Richardson is expecting a fierce response from an under-fire Adelaide in Friday night's AFL clash.
The second-placed Crows have been heavily criticised after last week's 22-point loss to Geelong, with a number of former greats questioning their premiership credentials.
Dual All-Australian forward Jonathan Brown declared the Crows' midfield wasn't good enough to win a flag, while former captain Mark Bickley said they needed to find a harder edge to impact the finals.
Adelaide have dominated St Kilda in recent years, winning their past six games, and Richardson acknowledged the media criticism could provide extra fuel for the Crows to sustain that streak.
"We know we're up against an opposition that will respond," Richardson said at Melbourne Airport on Thursday.
"They've been smashed in the media over there, so they're going to be a terrific challenge and they're going to be an aggressive challenge."
Richardson was tight-lipped on whether the Saints would tag star Adelaide onballer Rory Sloane, who was kept quiet by Scott Selwood during last week's game against the Cats.
The Saints will welcome back key forward Josh Bruce, who was dropped to the VFL for their past two games.
Half-back Jimmy Webster will also return from a stint on the sidelines after breaking his hand in round eight but star veteran Nick Riewoldt remains out with a knee complaint.
The Saints are eager to improve their 5-5 record but are coming off consecutive defeats to Sydney and the Western Bulldogs, and Richardson said the gap between their best and worst was still too large.
A key focus during the bye week has been converting their opportunities, with Richardson hopeful key forward trio Bruce, Tim Membrey and Paddy McCartin can work together effectively.
"We think our best footy's gone to another level. We've probably bridged the gap a little bit but not enough," he said.
"There's been a lot of things that have been working and a lot of players that we think have improved.
"Most of our footy's been heading the right way but the ability to be able to convert our work has been a bit of a struggle for us."
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