The Crows will go into Showdown XXXIX at Adelaide Oval on Sunday as named.
Young wingman Rory Atkins will start as the substitute on debut. Riley Knight, Matt Crouch and Ricky Henderson will also begin the game on the interchange bench. Port Adelaide is also unchanged, with Aaron Young to wear the green vest,
Atkins and Brodie Martin, who will play just his second game of the season, have been included at the expense of omitted duo Nathan van Berlo and Cam Ellis-Yolmen.
Read the AFL.com.au Preview of Showdown XXXIX
Atkins, who celebrated his 21st Birthday on Sunday, is the second Crow to debut in as many weeks and the fourth this season behind Riley Knight, Jake Lever and Jake Kelly. Recruited from the Calder Cannons with pick No.81 in the 2012 National Draft, Atkins is a left-footed wingman with neat skills.
The third-year Crow missed the opening two months of the season after injuring the PCL (Posterior Cruciate Ligament) in his knee at a pre-season training session in February. He’s impressed in five SANFL games since his return and was Adelaide’s best listed player in the loss to Central District last weekend, finishing with 29 disposals, eight marks, six inside 50ms, five clearances and a goal.
Atkins will become the 205th player to represent the Adelaide Football Club and sixth to wear the No.21 for the Crows in game for premiership points.
Interim Crows Senior Coach Scott Camporeale said Atkins’ SANFL form warranted an AFL call up.
“He (Atkins) brings something a little bit different. He’s a left-footer, (has) speed and (helps with) changing of lanes in terms of his kick,” Camporeale said.
“Rory’s done a lot of work with Richard Douglas off-field and in the way he trains and attacks the game. He’s just a great kid and deserves his opportunity.”
Check out the Stats that Matter ahead of Sunday’s clash
A travelling emergency last weekend, Martin will play his first AFL game since Round Nine.
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.
The team is:
IN: Brodie Martin, Rory Atkins
OUT: Nathan van Berlo (omitted), Cam Ellis-Yolmen (omitted)
B: Jake Lever, Daniel Talia, Luke Brown
HB: Rory Laird, Kyle Hartigan, David Mackay
C: Brodie Smith, Richard Douglas, Brodie Martin
HF: Charlie Cameron, Tom Lynch, Matt Wright
F: Josh Jenkins, Taylor Walker, Eddie Betts
RUCK: Sam Jacobs, Scott Thompson, Patrick Dangerfield
INTERCHANGE: Riley Knight. Matt Crouch, Ricky Henderson, Rory Atkins (sub)
EMERGENCIES: James Podsiadly, Sam Shaw, Jarryd Lyons
