The Crows will go into Saturday’s clash with North Melbourne in Hobart as named.
Utility Rory Laird will wear Adelaide’s substitute vest. Jarryd Lyons, Ricky Henderson and Charlie Cameron will start on the interchange bench. North Melbourne has made a late change, with Aaron Mullett replacing defender Lachie Hansen,
On Thursday, the Crows recalled Laird and experienced pair Scott Thompson and Ben Rutten.
Thompson, who was in brilliant form before being injured, returns after spending the past two weeks on the sidelines with a back-related hamstring complaint.
Rutten will play his 13th game of the season and first since Round 17. Laird earns a call-up after amassing 42 disposals and a goal in Adelaide’s SANFL clash with Sturt last weekend.
The trio replaces injured wingman David Mackay, who will miss after being concussed for the second time this year against Richmond, Sam Shaw (hamstring) and Mitch Grigg (omitted). Grigg, fellow midfielder Sam Kerridge and defender Brent Reilly are the emergencies.
Coach Brenton Sanderson said Thompson, Rutten and Laird would all play key roles against the Kangaroos.
“Scotty Thompson is ready to go, so he’s a great ‘in’ for us this week,” Sanderson said.
“It’s a tricky one with those neural back/hamstring injuries. ‘Thommo’ has done a solid block of training. He probably could’ve played last week, but we wanted to be as certain as we could be that he would get through the full four quarters.
“’Truck’ provides great leadership and an element of calm in our young backline. He’ll play a role on one of North’s three tall forwards. ‘Lairdy’ went back to the SANFL with a great attitude last week and was best on ground. He can play back, forward or midfield, and he’s a fierce competitor.”
Mackay is expected to be fit for Adelaide’s last minor-round game against St Kilda.
“We never take a risk with concussions. The protocols the players go through are really stringent,” Sanderson said.
“Unfortunately, it was Dave Mackay’s second concussion of the season, so he’ll miss this week and hopefully be back against the Saints.
“Sam Shaw had some soreness in his hamstring in the second half against Richmond and it hasn’t come up, which is a shame for him because he’s missed a lot of footy through injury.”
The Crows will play their first-ever game at Blundstone Arena on Saturday afternoon.
It’s a crucial game for both sides, who are looking to consolidate spots in the top eight.
Sanderson said it was a must-win game for Adelaide.
“It feels like we’ve been saying it since Round Five or Six, but we do have to win this week. It’s as simple as that,” he said.
“There’s a great buzz around our footy club at the moment internally. We’ll head down to Hobart with positive energy to get the result.”
The Crows will hold an open training session at Blundstone Arena in Hobart from about 1pm on Friday for approximately 45 minutes. Adelaide’s SANFL team takes on Norwood also on Saturday.
The team is:
IN: Rory Laird, Ben Rutten, Scott Thompson
OUT: David Mackay (concussion), Mitch Grigg (omit), Sam Shaw (hamstring)
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