Essendon assistant coach Simon Goodwin's inside information won't bring down his former AFL club Adelaide, Crows coach Neil Craig says.

Goodwin will coach against his former club for the first time in Friday night's AAMI Stadium encounter, having ended his decorated playing career with the Crows last year.

But Craig said the knowledge of Goodwin - or former Bomber Scott Camporeale, now an assistant coach at Adelaide - won't prove decisive.

Both clubs spent the week picking the brains of Goodwin and Camporeale about their former clubs, but Craig downplayed the magnitude of any inside nous.

"I think that is a bit mythical, that stuff," Craig said on Thursday.

"There is an element of information you can get ... (but) how much do they contribute in terms of actual performance? It's a very small percentage.

"And I'm sure it would be the same for Simon.

"He has got some detailed knowledge of our players but there are things that change.

"In the end it's your capacity to execute when you run out.

"Has Scott contributed some things from Essendon? From an individual point of view he has, yeah.

"But are they any value to us? You would have to ask the players, but I think it's over-emphasised."

Craig also dismissed reports he enlisted friend Matthew Knights, who was sacked as Essendon coach last year, to help the Crows prepare.

The Crows mentor said he was more concerned with finding a way to raise his side's speed of ball use to help nullify Essendon, who are clinging to eighth place by just two premiership points.

"I like their speed and I think they have added pressure on the ball to their game, so they would be the two things we need to match them with," he said.

Craig was also mindful of Adelaide performing strongly after a bye, which followed a fourth win of a poor season for his 14th-placed outfit.

"I probably would have preferred to continue to play because - well it's not momentum, it's only one win - but it would have been nice to go on again," he said.

"We have been diligent in our preparation and the proof will be in the pudding I guess, how we run out and perform."

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