Adelaide forward Danielle Ponter will miss the Crows AFLW Round Four match against Collingwood after injuring her quad at training earlier in the week.
Crows Head of Women’s Football Phil Harper said Ponter, who kicked two goals in the 14-point win against North Melbourne, had a scan which confirmed a low-grade quad strain.
“At training we did a warm-up, she started kicking and with her first kick she just felt something,” Harper said.
“It will put her out for this week and we will assess it ahead of next week’s game.”
Forward Lisa Whiteley, winger Niamh Kelly, ruck Montana McKinnon and utility Jasmine Simmons have all been named in the team.
Brooke Tonon, Zoe Prowse and McKenzie Dowrick have been omitted.
The Crows signed Simmons as a rookie ahead of Season Six upon her return to SA after she spent three years in the United States playing basketball for Oregon State University.
She has lined up in four AFLW games for the Crows since making her debut against Brisbane in Round One, Season Six.
Crows AFLW Senior Coach Matthew Clarke said the ex-basketballer’s workrate at training had impressed.
“Jas comes back into the team, deservedly so,” Clarke said.
“She’s trained super hard, throughout her time with us - she obviously came as an alternative-sport athlete - and adapted to the training load really well.
“She got four games at the start of last season, which was great and exposed her to the level, and since then, she’s just worked really hard on her game and on her footy sense.”
Clarke said Simmons had switched from playing as a forward/winger to defence ahead of this season and he was excited to watch her perform on game day.
“She’s got great closing speed and she’s pretty good in the air, so we think she can add something for us down back,” Clarke said.
Adelaide plays Collingwood at Victoria Park on Sunday, with the first bounce at 11.40am (ACST).
The Crows will continue to celebrate Indigenous Round this weekend by participating in another gift exchange, thanks to co-major partner BHP, and wearing its Indigenous guernsey.
IN:
Whiteley, Kelly, McKinnon, Simmons
OUT:
Ponter (injured), Tonon, Prowse, Dowrick
