Adelaide has made a late change to its team for Friday night’s Round One clash with Essendon.

Recruit Sam Gibson experienced hamstring soreness after training on Thursday and has been replaced in the selected side by emergency Hugh Greenwood. Essendon will go into the game as named.

Gibson will be assessed in the coming days. It brings to an end the AFL’s longest active streak of consecutive games. The hard-running wingman had played 130 straight matches since making his debut for North Melbourne in 2012.

Gibson joins Tom Lynch (side strain), Taylor Walker (foot) Riley Knight (ankle), Brad Crouch (groin), Alex Keath (ankle), Brodie Smith (knee) and Andrew McPherson (groin) on the sidelines.

The injuries have created opportunities for several young Crows, including debutants Darcy Fogarty, Tom Doedee and Lachlan Murphy.

It’s the first time since Round One, 2009, that Adelaide has unveiled three debutants in the same match.

On that day, first-gamers Walker, forward Jared Petrenko and midfielder Myke Cook were part of the team that beat Collingwood at the MCG.

Former Carlton star Bryce Gibbs will also pull on the Crows colours for the first time at Etihad Stadium, increasing the number of players making their Club debut against the Bombers to four.

In another good news story, midfielder Cameron Ellis-Yolmen, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, will play his first AFL game for premiership points since Round 23, 2016.

The opening bounce at Etihad Stadium is at 7:50pm (AEDT).

Late change:
IN – Hugh Greenwood
OUT – Sam Gibson (hamstring)