Adelaide coach Don Pyke swings the selection axe by dropping forward-ruckman Josh Jenkins

Don Pyke has put his faith in the AFL’s most inexperienced ruck duo — dropping veteran Josh Jenkins and throwing down the challenge to young guns Reilly O’Brien and Elliott Himmelberg.

Crows coach Don Pyke is expected to work an inexperienced ruck pairing after dropping key forward-ruckman Josh Jenkins from the Easter Sunday clash with Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval.

With lead ruckman Sam Jacobs nursing his right knee after corrective surgery on Wednesday, this leaves Pyke to work Reilly O’Brien and Elliott Himmelberg against the Suns.

They have a collective AFL games tally of five matches — four from O’Brien, who is playing his third consecutive match since Jacobs was sidelined; and one from Himmelberg.

LYNCH: HOW I CHEATED MY WAY INTO PIES GAME

DERM: WHO’S BETTER THAN AFL’S BIG FOUR?

Jenkins’ demotion — which was confirmed on Friday evening when Pyke trimmed his provisional 26-man squad to the match 22 — was the second big call by Pyke in the past fortnight.

He dropped high-priced Carlton recruit Bryce Gibbs for the first time last week in the lead-up to Adelaide’s 12-point loss to the previously winless North Melbourne at the Docklands in Melbourne on Saturday night.

Josh Jenkins has been dropped by the Crows. Picture: AAP Images

Gibbs is back in the Crows’ 22 for the clash with the Suns in the match that marks specialist small forward Eddie Betts’ 300th AFL game in a stellar career at both Carlton and Adelaide.

Pyke also recalled midfielder Hugh Greenwood for his first AFL game this season to gain grunt in a midfield that has failed to maintain the Crows trademark in contested football and clearances while falling to a 1-3 win-loss count this season.

Pyke has added Gibbs, Himmelberg and Greenwood while Chayce Jones is out because of a concussion and Myles Poholke and Jenkins have been dropped.