Adelaide could be unchanged for SANFL final clash against Glenelg
Adelaide has used more players than any other state league side this season, but a season first is on the cards for preliminary final.
SANFL
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Adelaide is a chance for a season first and could go into the preliminary final against Glenelg at Adelaide Oval on Sunday with an unchanged line-up.
The Crows have named the same 21 players who conquered Norwood in the first semi-final, as well as added four top up players in the extended squad.
No club has used more players in the state league this season than the 48 by the Crows and that has included 14 development players, as well as eight who have made just one appearance.
If Crows coach Heath Younie is to alter his line-up, it is expected South East-based Tom Hutchesson will come into the side if he negotiates training on Saturday morning.
Hutchesson felt something amiss with his hamstring in the warm-up last weekend and was replaced by Jackson Press just 10 minutes before the opening bounce.
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Young defender Lachlan Sholl and captain Matt Wright are the only Crows to have played in all 20 games this season, while Jordon Butts, Will Hamill, Kieran Strachan and Patrick Wilson have appeared in 19 and Tyson Stengle 18.
The Crows have made just one or two changes in four rounds, and three or four in another six. Twice there were seven changes and three times six, including the narrow loss to the Tigers at the Bay in round 15.
Only 14 players who fronted against Sturt in the opening round were in the side for the win over the Redlegs last weekend.
“We understand the constantly changing line-up is just part of our team and we are naturally going to have a lot of players rolling through,” Younie said.
“But in the last four to six weeks the team has really settled and in the last two weeks, regardless of results, we have arguably had our two strongest performances of the year with our core group of players.”
The Tigers, who had the bye in the opening round of finals, have used 33 players this season and eight have appeared in all 19 games. Another three have played in 18 and Magarey Medallist Luke Partington 17.
Matt Snook, Darcy Bailey and Matthew Uebergang played in the second semi-final loss to Port Adelaide last weekend, but did not appear in the opening round.
PRELIMINARY FINAL
Glenelg v Adelaide
Adelaide Oval, Sunday, 3:15pm
TV: Channel 7, live stream sanfldigitalpass.com.au
Radio: 1629 SEN SA, 1079 Life FM, ABC
GLENELG
F: Virgin, Scott, Close
HF: Bailey, Reynolds, Gregson
C: Bradley, Snook, Nicholson
HB: Joseph, Uebergang, Motlop
B: Scharenberg, Proud, Gould
R: White, McCarthy, Partington
INT: Curran, Agnew, McBean, Betterman, Slade, Searle, Koster
IN: Betterman, Searle, Slade, Koster
ADELAIDE
F: McAdam, Fogarty, Hunter
HF: Wright, Himmelberg, Davis
C: McHenry, Gallucci, Stengle
HB: Poholke, Butts, Hamill
B: Sholl, Otten, Merrett
R: Strachan, Wilson, Jones
INT: Boyle, Mathews, Farrar, Press, Hutchesson, Seymour, Johnson
IN: Davis, Farrar, Hutchesson, Johnson