Young forward Harry Dear will make his long-awaited return from injury in Adelaide’s must-win SANFL clash with South Adelaide at Noarlunga on Saturday.
Dear, who turns 19 later this month, has been sidelined since April after dislocating his left shoulder in the Club’s SANFL season-opener against North Adelaide. A shoulder reconstruction was required to repair the damage.
The 197cm, 98kg son of Hawthorn premiership player Paul will start on the interchange for just his second game of League football.
Dear has been removed from Adelaide’s Long Term Injury list with promoted ruckman Reilly O’Brien transferred back onto the Club’s rookie roster.
Sam Siggins returns to the team after the defender was rested from last round’s win over Norwood due to concussion.
Midfielder Matthew Wright and key tall Sam Shaw also strengthen Adelaide’s SANFL lineup. Wright is set to play his first State League game of the year, while Shaw returns after acting as a travelling emergency for last week’s AFL clash at the SCG.
Golden Grove development player Brock Castree completes Adelaide’s extended interchange.
Key forward Keenan Ramsey escaped serious damage to his right knee after landing awkwardly during the win over the Redlegs, but will not be risked this weekend.
Former captain Nathan van Berlo and left-footer Rory Atkins have been recalled to Adelaide’s AFL team. Shaw, James Podsiadly and Cam Ellis-Yolmen are on standby for the Friday night clash with Richmond.
The SANFL Crows remain in the finals race but must earn the premiership points against the fifth-placed Panthers. Saturday’s contest at Hickinbotham Oval begins at 2.10pm with free entry for all Crows ticketed members. Radio station LifeFM will broadcast the game live.
This week’s match was originally scheduled for Round 12, but was postponed following the sudden passing of Senior Coach Phil Walsh.
South defeated Adelaide by 14 points in the last meeting between the two sides in Round Five, which was also rescheduled due to a lighting issue at the venue.
Only two other matches are planned for the first week of the SANFL’s Round 17.
Central District needs to topple Sturt at Elizabeth to continue its charge towards the finals, while Port Adelaide will be hot favourites to down bottom-placed North Adelaide at Prospect.
Adelaide’s SANFL Team is:
B: Andy Otten (22), Kyle Cheney (25), Harrison Wigg (35)
HB: Sam Siggins (20), Sam Shaw (34), Jake Kelly (47)
C: Mitch Grigg (8), Matthew Wright (11), Sam Kerridge (17)
HF: Anthony Wilson (42), James Podsiadly (1), Mitch McGovern (41)
F: Matthew Spencely (50), Jack Osborn (30), Luke Lowden (40)
FOL: Reilly O’Brien (43), Cam Ellis-Yolmen (28), Ian Callinan (37)
INT (from): Harry Dear (38), Brock Castree (54), Luke Carey (59), Sam Pfeiffer (61), Josh Wittwer (48)
IN: Matthew Wright, Sam Shaw, Harry Dear, Sam Siggins, Brock Castree
OUT: Keenan Ramsey (knee), Nathan van Berlo, Rory Atkins (AFL)
