Adelaide has made six changes to its side ahead of the final minor round match of the season against West Coast in Perth on Saturday.
Recruit Brooke Smith will make her AFLW debut after being named in the backline.
From the Dandenong Stingrays in the Coates League, the 19-year-old has also experienced senior football with the Casey Demons in the VFLW.
Irish Recruit Yvonne Bonner returns to the team after spending the past three matches on the sidelines due to a medial ligament strain, while youngster Keeley Kustermann is also an inclusion and will play her first game for the 2023 season.
Wing Deni Varnhagen, Lisa Whiteley and Brooke Tonon round out the six inclusions.
Adelaide Head of Women’s Football Harper said Smith had shown plenty of promise and was ready for the challenge of playing at the elite level.
“Deni, Keeley and Brooke have performed strongly in all scrimmage games they have played in this season and deserve a chance to perform,” Harper said.
“We welcome back Brooke Tonon and also Yvonne Bonner, after her three weeks off with her knee injury and we are confident they will perform well for us.”
Skipper Chelsea Randall, three-time Club Champion winner Anne Hatchard, Leadership group member Stevie-Lee Thompson, Kiera Mueller and Jess Waterhouse will miss the match, with the coaching staff opting to manage them ahead of the finals series.
Defender Zoe Prowse will also miss the game after being struck down with the flu.
“At this time of the year there are several players carrying niggling injuries,” Harper said
“What we have done in conjunction with our high performance and medical teams is try to identify players in this situation whose niggle would be significantly improved by not flying to Perth and playing this weekend.
“Now the team selected will be focused on performing strongly against the Eagles on their home ground on what looks like being a hot day.”
Mueller, Waterhouse and Amber Ward are the emergencies.
Adelaide secured a top-two finish and a finals appearance following its narrow win against North Melbourne at Norwood Oval last weekend.
The Crows take on West Coast in the final minor round of the season at Mineral Resources Park, Perth, on Saturday at 4.35pm (ACDT).
IN: Smith, Bonner, Varnhagen, Tonon, Kustermann, Whiteley
OUT: Randall, Hatchard, Thompson, Mueller, Waterhouse (all managed), Prowse (ill)
Adelaide’s Round 10 team is:
