Marcus Bontempelli against Jordan Dawson is arguably the most mouth-watering match-up in the AFL.

And it could happen on Thursday night when Bontempelli's Western Bulldogs host Dawson's Adelaide at Marvel Stadium.

"I'd love to see that as well," Crows coach Matthew Nicks said of the potential duel.

"And if the game is going our way, then we may get a look at that."

Bontempelli and Dawson, renowned as among the best players in the competition, boast strikingly similar traits.

Both are inspirational captains. Both are multiple All Australians.

Both are dynamic midfielders, but capable of kicking clutch goals when stationed in attack. Both boast raking left-foot kicks.

Bontempelli is 1.94 metres tall and weighs 96 kilograms; Dawson is 1.92m tall and 91kg.

And both will be the subject of much pre-game planning from Nicks and his Bulldog counterpart Luke Beveridge.

"Most teams have a player who has just got weapons everywhere and is very hard to stop, and Bont is one of those," Nicks said.

"We use the word respect when we talk about players like Bont - respect for the game he brings, respect for if you don't bring the challenge or at least a contest around that, then you're going to be found wanting.

"So we go in with that mindset, and that could be anything from putting a shutdown player to him to playing our best player on him."

Nicks said exactly what plan he would deploy to curb Bontempelli may depend on how his eighth-placed Crows were faring against the sixth-placed Dogs in the high-stakes clash.

"He (Bontempelli) has played with attention for a long, long time; he's been able to work through that," Nicks said.

"So we will have a few plans in place. You can't just lock it in and say we're going to do it this way, and if that doesn't work have nothing left."