Adelaide Crows will go in unchanged to Sunday’s preliminary final at Adelaide Oval

If midfielder Anne Hatchard passes a concussion test, the Crows will take an unchanged — and in-form — side into Sunday’s preliminary final against Geelong at Adelaide Oval.

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If midfielder Anne Hatchard passes a concussion test, the Crows will take an unchanged — and in-form — side into Sunday’s preliminary final against Geelong at Adelaide Oval.

The ball-winner took a head knock in last week’s 10-goal drubbing of Melbourne and was on light training duties, with a test to come later this week.

But the club is confident Hatchard will suit up on Sunday and play for the right to contest March 31’s AFLW grand final.

Crows coach Matthew Clarke speaks to his players after their 10-goal round seven win over Melbourne at Casey Fields. PHOTO: AAP Image/Daniel Pockett

Coach Matthew Clarke said the 21 players involved in last week’s win were being rewarded for that strong performance, but selection remains tough, considering the good SANFLW form of fringe players, including the likes of Nikki Gore, Sarah Perkins, Maisie Nankivell and 2017 premiership player Jessica Sedunary, who has now recovered from a foot injury that has sidelined her for the season so far.

“(Sedunary’s) done everything she could and has rehabbed amazingly well from a really challenging injury and got herself available and has now played an SANFLW game (for Central District), but ultimately she’s still on the fringe,” Clarke said.

It’s no coincidence it’s a hard team to break into: yesterday, nine Crows players were named in the 2019 ALW All-Australian squad of 40 players. They were: Chelsea Randall, Jess Foley, Marijana Rajcic, Sarah Allan, Anne Hatchard, Erin Phillips, Stevie-Lee Thompson and Eloise Jones.

But Clarke praised the hard work his fringe players as vital pieces of the overall success of the team.

Matthew Clarke coaches the Crows during their round six AFLW match against Greater Western Sydney at Unley Oval. PHOTO: Mark Brake/Getty Images

“Ultimately, any success or failure we have is dependant on the whole squad, and the squad’s been amazing since day one, so we’re very mindful not just the players that are running out, but everyone has contributed,” he said.

Ahead of Sunday’s grand final qualifier, the Crows will have a walk-around Adelaide Oval on Saturday morning to familiarise themselves, but Clarke wasn’t fussed they wouldn’t train there.

“The main thing for us is that the ground we train on (at West Lakes) is the same dimension as the Adelaide Oval, so that’s a bit of a win,” he said.

The Crows go into the prelim as red-hot favourites after finishing the minor rounds on top of conference A with a 6-1 win-loss record and a whopping 212.9 percentage.

In comparison, conference B’s expansion team Geelong finished the season 3-4 with 65.5 per cent.

But Clarke said come finals, those numbers didn’t matter: both ledgers sit 0-0.

“I like the way (Geelong) structure up their team, I like the style of footy they try and play … I imagine it’s going to be a really good contest,” he said.

“Last time (in round three), we won and won well, but it was 10 goals to six, so that’s not a margin that you can draw any great comfort out of,” he said.

“We’re very mindful that it’s 0-0 at the start of this game. But we’re confident that if we play our best footy, we’ll give ourselves every chance, but it’s a game of footy so anyone can win it.”

* Preliminary final: Adelaide v Geelong, Sunday, March 24, 12.40pm, Adelaide Oval. Entry is free