Crows’ All-Australian midfielder and club champion Matt Crouch enters AFL grand final rematch with injury
ADELAIDE club champion and All-Australian midfielder Matt Crouch will carry an injured hand into Friday night’s AFL grand final rematch with Richmond at the MCG. And another important Crow will be back from injury to join him.
- Forgotten Crow Smith on track for return
- Hamstring curse strikes again
- Crows’ mission improbable
- AFL stars pay tribute to magic Cyril
- Why attack is back in fashion
CROWS club champion Matt Crouch will carry a broken hand into Friday night’s AFL grand final rematch with Richmond at the MCG.
Adelaide coach Don Pyke on Thursday confirmed the Crows club champion suffered a crack to a hand bone during last Saturday’s win against West Coast at Adelaide Oval.
But Crouch, who returned to the field with three staples under his eye after copping a stray elbow from Eagle Jack Redden in the first quarter of Saturday’s clash, is still considered capable of playing against the Tigers in another critical test of the 11th-ranked Crows (7-7). Pyke also has confirmed the return of vital forward Tom Lynch, who missed the Eagles’ match with concussion from training after he had recovered from a side strain suffered against Greater Western Sydney in early June.
Pyke dismissed any concern with Crouch’s ability to compete in the hot midfield contests against the AFL league leader.
“He has a little bit of a crack in his hand,” Pyke said at West Lakes as Adelaide completed its training program before travelling to Melbourne.
“But it is going to be fine.
“It is only a minor (crack). It’s not really affecting him at all.
“I spoke to him this morning and he’s fine to train; he has trained all week. He is going to be a little bit sore, but he is not concerned at all.”
Adelaide will name its match 22 — and four emergencies — on Thursday evening.
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au