Adelaide will make at least two changes to its team for Showdown XXXIX on Sunday.
The Crows have included key-position players James Podsiadly and Sam Shaw, and midfield trio Jarryd Lyons, Brodie Martin and Rory Atkins in their squad of 25.
Nathan van Berlo and Cam Ellis-Yolmen, who started as the substitute last week, are the confirmed omissions from the team that lost to West Coast. The 22 to play Port Adelaide will be named on afc.com.au at 4:30pm on Friday.
Crows Head of Football David Noble said van Berlo and Ellis-Yolmen would both play in the SANFL.
“It’s not unusual for players coming back from long-term injuries, like Nathan, to have period of inconsistency,” Noble said.
“VB is the first to admit his form hasn’t been to the level that he expects. We just felt it would be beneficial now for him to work on his consistency of performance in our SANFL team.
“The effort is always there and Nathan’s leadership is outstanding, it’s just about refining a few aspects of his game.”
Read the AFL.com.au Preview of Showdown XXXIX
Atkins, 21, will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow young Crows Riley Knight, Jake Lever and Jake Kelly and make his AFL debut. Recruited with pick No.81 in the 2012 National Draft, Atkins is a left-footed wingman with neat skills.
Podsiadly and Shaw could both play their first AFL games of the season. Shaw, who had hamstring surgery in the offseason, last played AFL in Round 21, 2014. Podsiadly played 21 of a possible 22 matches last season, but is yet to add to his tally in 2015. Lyons and Martin both made the trip to Perth last weekend as emergencies.
Check out the Stats that Matter ahead of Sunday’s clash
The best player on the ground in Sunday’s Showdown will receive the Phillip Walsh Medal. The match is a Port Adelaide ‘home’ game. However, the Power and Crows have worked together on several initiatives to honour Walsh, including a joint banner and minute of applause after the game.
Fans without a ticket to the sold-out clash can watch from the Showdown live site at Elder Park. The Channel 7 big screen coverage kicks off at 1:30pm with a special Showdown episode of The Crows Show and continues into the opening bounce at 2:50pm.
Mitch Grigg and Kyle Cheney will return from injury in Adelaide’s SANFL game against North Adelaide at Prospect Oval on Saturday. The match starts at 2:10pm. Ticketed Crows members receive free entry to the Club's SANFL matches upon presentation of their membership card.
The squad of 25 is:
IN: James Podsiadly, Brodie Martin, Sam Shaw, Jarryd Lyons, Rory Atkins
OUT: Nathan van Berlo (omitted), Cam Ellis-Yolmen (omitted)
