The injury wheel at West Lakes appears to be turning, with Adelaide welcoming back three key players for Sunday’s clash with Melbourne in Alice Springs.

All Australian midfielder Matt Crouch, dependable backman Luke Brown and promising utility Wayne Milera Junior all boarded the team’s flight to the Red Centre after spending time on the sidelines.

With the trio proving their fitness, coach Don Pyke admitted there were some difficult calls made at match committee during the week.

“Brown, Milera and Matty Crouch come back in, which is great for the side,” Pyke told reporters at Adelaide Airport on Saturday morning. 

“(It’s) important for those guys coming in they do what the other guys have done for us who are going out.

“There were some tough decisions at selection, so they bring their strengths and play their role that’s what we’re after.”

Pyke was quick to quash rumours the Crows were taking a risk by playing Crouch after he was absent from last week’s win over the Western Bulldogs due to hamstring soreness.

“To be honest, he was thereabouts last week,” he said.

“He’s had a full week of training and he’s really confident.”

The inclusion of the 2017 Club Champion provides a critical boost for Adelaide’s engine room against the leading contested side in the competition in 2018. 

Meantime, Milera adds not only run and carry but the ability to play in multiple positions which is becoming increasingly important in the modern game.

“We saw when Wayne was playing his best footy. He had a fantastic game against Gold Coast before he got injured,” Pyke said. 

“His run and bounce off half-back was really important for us that night.

“He’s played half-back, he’s played wing, he’s played half-forward so he gives us some real flexibility and some run which is valuable for the side.”

The flow-on effect of players returning is evident at SANFL level, with the likes of Kyle Cheney, Curtly Hampton and Alex Keath, who have all played AFL football, providing the Club with solid depth in the reserves.

The SANFL Crows take on West Adelaide on Saturday afternoon, with 13-listed players set to pull on the guernsey including omitted pair Andy Otten and Lachlan Murphy.

All will be looking to push their individual cases for senior selection.

“We said we were really hopeful that we would start to get back towards having high 30s available for selection and that’s where we’re headed,” Pyke said.

“We get depth in numbers and all of a sudden, pressure for spots becomes real and we get some guys in good form.

“Things are looking good at the moment. We have to keep our fingers crossed, but we’ve got some guys playing SANFL footy today who have played AFL footy at a good level so that’s good for our program.”