Adelaide key forward Taylor Walker will be rested for the Club’s Round 10 match against the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat on Saturday.
Walker will join Riley Thilthorpe on the sidelines, after Senior Coach Matthew Nicks revealed on Wednesday the forward would be managed this weekend, as he battled knee soreness.
Lachlan Gollant and Elliott Himmelberg have been named in the side, replacing Walker and Thilthorpe.
Crows Head of Football Adam Kelly said managing Walker would help keep the 33-year-old fit for the second half of the season.
“We went into the year planning to manage Taylor at points in the season (and) have reached that point this week,” Kelly said.
“We know that Taylor has benefited from an in-season freshen up previously and this is something that was something discussed with him before the season commenced.”
Kelly said Gollant and Himmelberg had earned their selection after performing strongly in the SANFL across the past few weeks.
“Lachie has shown that he can perform strongly at AFL level and has been consistent across the SANFL season,” Kelly said.
“He was a non-playing emergency last week, so he comes in fresh and ready for the opportunity.
“Elliott started the season in the AFL team and whilst we have tried him in a number of roles at SANFL level, he has primarily continued to play a tall forward/second ruck role, which made him a natural replacement for Riley Thilthorpe.”
The decision to leave Walker and Thilthorpe out of this weekend’s line-up are two of three changes to the side.
Defender Tom Doedee will miss the clash with concussion, while Nick Murray returns to the side after sitting out last week’s win against St Kilda under the AFL’s concussion protocols.
Midfielders Matt Crouch, Ned McHenry and Sam Berry, along with defender Josh Worrell have been named as the emergencies.
One will be announced as the substitute, an hour before the game.
The match marks the first week of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, with the Crows set to don their new Indigenous guernsey designed by April Napangardi Campbell, the aunt of two-time AFLW Premiership star Danielle Ponter.
Adelaide takes on the Western Bulldogs at Mars Stadium, Ballarat, on Saturday at 1.40pm (ACST).
IN: Gollant, Himmelberg, Murray
OUT: Thilthorpe, Walker (managed), Doedee (concussion)
Adelaide’s Round 10 team is:
