Eddie Betts and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti have combined for 57 goals this season but only 17 have come against top-eight sides

The impact of Betts and Tipungwuti – or lack of – could be the deciding factor in Friday’s clash at Adelaide Oval. Whose turn will it be to stand up against a top-eight side?

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After being held goalless in consecutive weeks – for only the second time since crossing from the Blues – Eddie Betts responded to the critics with a 20-disposal, six-goal performance against the Suns.

“We know what he’s capable of and we’ve seen bits of that this year,” coach Don Pyke said in the build-up to the clash on the Gold Coast.

“He’s capable of being, if not the most, then one of the most-damaging small forwards in the comp and I still believe he’s capable of doing that.”

The six-goal haul – his second against the Suns this year - took Betts’ season-tally to 32, placing him seventh in the Coleman Medal race after 16 rounds, reaffirming Pyke’s pre-match comments.

Rory Sloane and Lachie Murphy celebrate with Eddie Betts after his boundary-line goal against the Giants in Round 12. Picture SARAH REED

Only Jeremy Cameron, Ben Brown, Tom Hawkins, Jack Darling, Tom Lynch (Richmond) and former team-mate Charlie Cameron have kicked more goals this season.

But with a crucial top-eight clash with the Bombers looming, Betts needs to prove he can still have a big impact on the scoreboard against the competition’s top sides.

Of Betts’ 32 majors for the year, only nine have come against teams currently in the top eight of the AFL ladder.

It’s more of a challenge rather than a trend given Betts has been on the scoresheet in four of Adelaide’s five matches against top-eight sides.

The 32-year-old booted three against the Lions in Round 9 and two each in matches against West Coast (Round 10), GWS (Round 12) and Richmond (Round 13).

But in both losses to league leader Geelong, Betts has been held goalless.

On the seven occasions Adelaide has failed to take the four premiership points, Betts has tallied 10.4.

In the Crows’ nine wins in 2019, Betts has booted 22.8 – 12 of them in big victories over the Suns.

Essendon’s Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti was the matchwinner against North Melbourne in Round 17. Picture: Hamish Blair/AAP

At the other end of the ground on Friday will be Essendon matchwinner Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, who, like Betts, bounced back in a big way after a quiet few weeks.

After booting two goals in the previous four matches, the 26-year-old finished with four majors – including the game-winner in the final minute – against North Melbourne last week.

But there’s an even bigger disparity in output for Tipungwuti in Bombers wins and losses this season.

Of his 25 goals for the year – a figure which ranks 23rd in the competition – only one has come in Essendon losses.

Similar to Betts, the exciting forward has booted just eight goals against top-eight teams in 2019. And seven of them came in a best-on-ground performance against the Lions in Round 4.

Tipungwuti finished with one major against the Eagles in Round 14 but went goalless against Geelong, Collingwood, Richmond and GWS.

GOALS AGAINST TOP-8 SIDES

	Total goals	v Top-8 sides	v Bottom-10 sides
Eddie Betts	32	9	23
Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti	25	8	17

GOALS IN WINS/LOSSES

	Total goals	In wins	In losses
Eddie Betts	32	22	10
Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti	25	24	1

Eddie Betts has booted 32 goals this season.

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti’s 25 goals for the year has him ranked 23rd in the competition.

But as coach John Worsfold alluded to this week, Essendon’s small forwards won’t all get on the scoresheet every match.

“There’s games this year where Orazio (Fantasia) has kicked goals and ‘Walla’ hasn’t because when we work out the match-ups we want to try to see and maximise that,” Worsfold said when quizzed about Fantasia’s form.

“They will get their turns.”

When he doesn’t have the footy, more often than not Tipungwuti is making life difficult for opposition forwards.

The 26-year-old rates elite for total tackles, tackles inside-50 and and pressure acts this season.

While Betts rates above average for goal assists and score involvements, the veteran’s 2.6 tackles inside-50 per game is considered average and his 12.1 pressure acts below average.

But the impact of Betts and Tipungwuti with the football in hand – or lack of – could be the deciding factor in the Adelaide Oval clash.

Whose turn will it be to stand up in a big game on Friday night?