Adelaide Crows add four to preliminary squad to play Melbourne in Alice Springs

CROWS club champion and All-Australian midfielder Matt Crouch is back for Adelaide’s critical top-of-the-table clash with Melbourne at Alice Springs.

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ADELAIDE’S ever-changing midfield is strengthened with the return of All-Australian and club champion Matt Crouch for Sunday’s AFL test against Melbourne’s young and emerging engine room at Alice Springs.

Crouch and defender Luke Brown are certain reinstatements for the Adelaide 22 that will be confirmed Friday evening.

Crows coach Don Pyke’s preliminary 26-man also has half-back Wayne Milera ready to return from the hamstring curse at West Lakes - and unlikely starter, ruckman Reilly O’Brien.

Milera is named on Adelaide’s eight-man interchange bench that is to be cut to four for the match that opens the AFL’s celebration of Australian’s Indigenous culture.

The “timely” note on this theme from the AFL is Crows specialist forward Eddie Betts being four goals from taking his career tally with Adelaide and Carlton to 550.

No player is yet to fall out of the 22 who beat the Western Bulldogs in the rain at Adelaide Oval last Friday.

Crouch is to resume after missing the 37-point win against the ‘Dogs with hamstring soreness.

Brown missed the same match with adductor soreness.

Both Adelaide (6-3, fourth) and Melbourne (6-3, third) have added four to their preliminary squad and removed no player from last week’s 22-man starting line-ups.

The Demons, who smashed Carlton by 109-points at the weekend, have midfielder Dom Tyson, versatile tall Cam Pedersen, speedster Jayden Hunt and livewire Jeff Garlett.

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has given no hint on which of the four call-ups will make the final 22.

All four are on the extended interchange bench with the tough James Harmes, crumber Charlie Spargo, forward Mitch Hannan and first-year half-forward Bayley Fritsch.

Key forward Tom McDonald, who missed the first five games with a foot injury, is in the starting 18 despite leaving the training track early today/yesterday.

He later said he was confident of playing against the Crows and only left the track as a precaution.

Port Adelaide has the bye with its players recuperating from the long-haul China trip. But the club has young forward Todd Marshall back in competitive football – with the Magpies in the SANFL – after more than a month away from Alberton with compassionate leave.

Marshall, 19, has lost both parents in the past six months.

He will play in the State league against North Adelaide at Alberton Oval on Saturday.

It will be his first game since the Power’s loss to Essendon at Etihad Stadium on April 15.

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Originally published as Adelaide Crows add four to preliminary squad to play Melbourne in Alice Springs