Adelaide’s SANFL side may field its highest number of AFL-listed players this season in Saturday’s clash with top side Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval.
The Crows, searching for their sixth win of the season, have regained Jared Petrenko after a two-month lay-off with a leg injury while veterans Ben Rutten and Jason Porplyzia have been sent back from AFL duties.
Development players Michael O’Malley and Gene Robinson were also named in the squad, which may change depending on the final Crows AFL team selection and the availability of emergencies.
Adelaide and Port have met only once at SANFL level – at Clare in May when the Magpies won by 44 points.
The first three games of round 14 in the SANFL were played last weekend. Norwood continued its push for a top three spot, defeating South Adelaide by seven points; West Adelaide kept its finals hopes alive with an upset win over second-placed Sturt and Central District defeated the Eagles.
In the other SANFL game this weekend, North Adelaide hosts bottom team Glenelg.
The South Australian Country football team will play WA Country in the curtain-raiser at Alberton Oval on Saturday, starting at 11.15am. The SA team includes Crows development squad players Sam Pfeiffer, Myles Warmington and Nigel Osborn.
Crows SANFL team:
B: Sam Shaw, Kyle Hartigan, Sam Siggins
HB: Brent Reilly, Ben Rutten, Jake Kelly
C: Riley Knight, Jared Petrenko. Ian Callinan
HF: Alex Spina, Shaun McKernan, Cam Ellis-Yolmen
F: Rory Atkins, Jack Osborn, Matt Thompson
R: Angus Graham, Jason Porplyzia, James Battersby
I/C (from): Michael O’Malley, Tyson Davis-Neale, Will Paynter, Gene Robinson.
In to 22: Petrenko, Rutten, Porplyzia, O’Malley, Robinson
Out of 21: Luke Thompson, Jarryd Lyons, Mitch Grigg, Matt Crouch