Adelaide coach Don Pyke backs Taylor Walker and Rory Sloane to shine against the Giants

DON Pyke says the Crows are not playing with fire by naming team leaders Taylor Walker and Rory Sloane for Sunday’s round one blockbuster against flag favourite Greater Western Sydney.

DON Pyke says the Crows are not playing with fire by naming team leaders Taylor Walker and Rory Sloane for Sunday’s round one blockbuster against flag favourite Greater Western Sydney.

While Pyke says the star pair still have “a couple of little hurdles to clear’’ to prove their fitness and take their places in the final 22, he insists they have done enough pre-season work to play without restrictions.

“The indications are that there are no restrictions of the game time of Sloaney or Tex (Walker),’’ an upbeat Pyke said after watching them train “really well’’ at Adelaide Oval on Thursday morning and then naming them in an extended 25-man squad.

“We expect they’ll slot into normal rotations and play accordingly. They are both experienced guys, so they know their bodies really well, they’ve got another training run on Saturday morning and I fully expect they will be right.’’

Adelaide’s round one squad includes three players who are in line for their Crows debuts — powerful utility Curtly Hampton, who Pyke says will play against his former club, ex-Blue Troy Menzel and new draftee Myles Poholke, who was selected at pick 44.

Port Adelaide also has picked three first-gamers for its clash against Sydney at the SCG tomorrow- upgraded rookies Brett Eddy and Dan Houston and No. 18 draft pick Sam Powell-Pepper.

Defenders Andy Otten and Jake Kelly, who didn’t play an AFL game last year, have also been named in the Crows squad as Pyke opted to bring key backman Jake Lever back through the SANFL.

Lever has recovered from a strained hamstring but missed all three of the Crows’ JLT pre-season matches.

Adelaide Crows coach Don Pyke. Picture Sarah Reed

He will be joined in a SANFL trial match against Woodville-West Torrens tomorrow by 307-game midfielder Scott Thompson, who is on the comeback trail from shoulder surgery.

Influential key forward Walker has been battling a tight hamstring since pulling up lame in the third quarter of Adelaide’s final JLT pre-season game against Brisbane on March 11.

Gun midfielder Sloane did not feature in any pre-season games after suffering a fractured eye socket in a collision with teammate Josh Jenkins at training on February 10.

Sloane had an artificial bone inserted in his face and has been given clearance by his surgeon to resume playing.

“We’re very confident both of those guys will come up,’’ Pyke said, stressing their importance to the team.

“Captain and vice-captain of our footy club clearly signifies how important they are not only in terms of their playing but also their leadership side of things.’’

Pyke said fitness would not be a concern for Walker because he had missed only one quarter of the JLT Series.

He said while Sloane ideally would have had some game time, he is backing him in to play well first-up, despite a limited preparation.

“We’re talking about a two-time best and fairest winner, a nearly 150-game player, so he’s got experience,’’ Pyke said.

“He’s elite in terms of his fitness and his preparation, he’s done a mountain of work. We feel comfortable that they can both play 120 minutes of footy come Sunday.’’

[e-mail]