Adelaide has dropped ruckman Reilly O’Brien, while key forward Taylor Walker has failed a fitness test and will miss the game against Richmond on Thursday night.
Walker, who has a recurring back injury, was substituted at halftime during what coach Matthew Nicks described as the Crows’ worst performance of the year—a lackluster 27-point loss to Hawthorn last Saturday.
In addition to O’Brien being dropped, the Crows will also be without injured players Brayden Cook and Matt Crouch, who are out for the rest of the season due to shoulder surgery.
Nicks has called up Kieran Strachan for his sixth AFL game, and his first since round 10, 2022, to replace O’Brien.
Ned McHenry and Will Hamill are also returning, and Billy Dowling, the 43rd pick in the 2022 draft, will make his AFL debut.
The 17th-placed Tigers will regain Tim Taranto from a broken wrist, as well as Dion Prestia (rested last game) and Shai Bolton (concussion). Jacob Koschitzke has also been recalled for the Adelaide Oval clash against the Crows, who are three places above them on the ladder.
Richmond legend Dustin Martin has been rested, and the triple premiership hero and three-time Norm Smith medallist will play his 300th game on June 15 against Hawthorn at the MCG.
The Tigers have lost Marlon Pickett (calf) and Mykelti Lefau (season-ending knee injury) and have dropped Kaleb Smith.
Crows coach Nicks says his team approaches the fixture with a collective chip on their shoulder after the loss to the Hawks, appreciating the short five-day break between that defeat and hosting the injury-ravaged Tigers.
“After games like the Hawthorn defeat, there’s a period of frustration, but then you snap out of it and realize you have a job to do,” Nicks told reporters on Wednesday.
“We don’t want to play at that level and believe we’re better than that. We’re frustrated and angry… it wasn’t acceptable.
“A five-day break is a bonus because we can play as soon as possible to try and rectify it. We’re clear that last Saturday was not acceptable, and we’re not going to stand for that. We’ll come into this week’s game with a real chip on our shoulder.”
Crows captain Jordan Dawson, who had a foot complaint last week, has been cleared to play.
