Andrew McGrath has boosted his Rising Star chances with a starring role on Adelaide forward Eddie Betts.

The Bombers went down by 43 points to the Crows but McGrath restricted Betts to just one behind from his seven possessions.

The number one draft pick collected 25 disposals, had eight marks and five rebounds from the defensive 50.

"I was pretty nervous coming into the game," McGrath said.

"DJ (Dan Jordan - Performance Coach) and I figured out how I could get off him and how to defend him.

"The main focus for me was to concentrate the whole time.

"He tries to trick you around the packs and I think I did that pretty well tonight."

It’s only the second time in Betts' last 33 games he's been held goalless.

It’s also the lowest amount of possessions he’s had in a match since 2014. 

McGrath returned to the side after he was rested last week against Carlton. 

He said time spent playing on Betts when the sides met earlier this season helped him prepare.

"Having a little bit of experience on how he plays and the way he goes about it definitely goes a long way," McGrath said.

"'Baggers' (Mark Baguley) worked with me this week to give me a few little pointers on what makes him tick and how to defend him pretty well."

The Bombers loss sees the side slip to tenth on the ladder with games against Gold Coast and Fremantle to come.

“'Woosha' challenged us to really be unconditional in these next two weeks and all of the boys are really keen to do so and hopefully we can finish on a high," McGrath said.