Recruit Paul Seedsman, 2015 draftee Wayne Milera jnr and forward Mitch McGovern will represent the Crows for the first time under new Senior Coach Don Pyke against last year’s preliminary finalist.
And midfielder Brad Crouch has been named for his first AFL premiership game since the last minor round of the 2014 season.
Milera, Adelaide’s first pick at last November’s national draft, impressed on the training track over the summer and also showed promising signs in three NAB Challenge appearances this year.
The dashing 18-year-old wingman or half-forward made his SANFL league debut last season with Central District.
“Wayne’s trained really hard,” Pyke said. “He has hardly missed a session. He has engaged with the group really well. As a first-year player, that is about all you can ask.”
Seedsman, 24, was recruited through the trade period, having played 49 AFL games with Collingwood since 2012. He has been playing across half back and on a wing during the recent NAB Challenge series.
McGovern, 21, was restricted to 11 SANFL games in his first season on Adelaide’s list but played in the three pre-season games this year. The versatile 191cm forward was recruited with pick No.43 in the 2014 AFL National Draft.
Brad Crouch did not play an AFL game last year after fracturing his foot in a pre-season game and continuing to have foot issues after making a brief mid-season return in the SANFL. He has played 25 games since making his AFL debut in 2013, when he finished runner-up in the AFL Rising Star award.
His last AFL game was the first and only time he has played at the top level alongside younger brother Matt, who started as a sub in that match but won’t have to worry about the green vest on Saturday night.
Jake Lever and Rory Atkins are the other two players picked for Saturday night who did not appear in Adelaide’s last game of 2015 at the MCG.
Kyle Hartigan, Cam Ellis-Yolmen and Jarryd Lyons have been named as emergencies.
Saturday night’s game will be the first of four Crows games in Melbourne in the first seven rounds.
See all the stats that matter for Adelaide's Round One clash
The Crows will have extra presence at Saturday night’s game with a new Crows Zone marquee and CROWmania outside Gate 5 at Etihad Stadium.
The game starts at 7.25 local time.
Ricky Henderson, Andy Otten, Riley Knight and Charlie Cameron will play their first games of 2016 for Adelaide’s SANFL side against 2015 premiers West Adelaide at Richmond on Saturday afternoon.
Ticketed Crows members receive free entry to all of the Club’s minor-round SANFL games.
