Crows coach Don Pyke primed to recall Bryce Gibbs as key forward Josh Jenkins proves his fitness

Crows coach Don Pyke will name a strengthened 22 to face Fremantle at home after regaining experienced midfielder Bryce Gibbs from the illness list, with Josh Jenkins added to a 26-man squad.

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Resurgent Adelaide is primed to regain experienced midfielder Bryce Gibbs from the illness list — and certainly can reconsider key forward Josh Jenkins — for the home test against second-ranked Fremantle at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

Gibbs’ return is a bonus for a Crows engine room needing to have depth to counter in-form Dockers captain and Brownlow Medallist Nat Fyfe.

And there is more good news for restocking the Crows’ battered defence with the first appearance in a competitive match this season of uncompromising defender Luke Brown. Sidelined by an ankle injury, Brown will start his 2019 campaign in the SANFL in the Friday night state league blockbuster against his former Norwood team-mates at The Parade.

Crows coach Don Pyke is expected to reinstate Gibbs to his match 22 after the 2006 No. 1 draftee was kept at home last week — by a bout of gastro — as Adelaide chalked up back-to-back wins or the first time this season by beating St Kilda at the Melbourne Docklands.

Whether Pyke is prepared to recall Jenkins — at the expense of novice forward-ruckman Elliott Himmelberg — will be answered with the final lodging of the 22-man line-ups on Friday evening.

Adelaide player Josh Jenkins battles South Adelaide’s Benjamin Haren and Tyson Brown at Noarlunga Oval. Picture: AAP Image/ Morgan Sette

Jenkins certainly declared he is not being hindered by an ankle concern in his training with the Crows SANFL squad on Thursday.

Pyke so far has Gibbs, Jenkins, first-year player Chance Jones and first-round draftee Darcy Fogarty in the Adelaide 26. All four have been named on the Crows’ extended interchange bench to mask Pyke’s intentions.

And no player from the match 22 that cast aside the Saints has been excluded.

Jenkins has played two SANFL games since his dumping to the State league. His count of 18 touches, 12 hitouts and three goals in last week’s SANFL win against Central District at Elizabeth Oval.

Jones has missed the past two AFL games, falling out of the line-up when he failed a concussion test in the lead-up to the home win against Gold Coast a fortnight ago.

Nathan Fyfe of the Dockers looks to get his kick away under pressure against the Bulldogs. Picture: Getty Images

Fogarty has played no AFL game this season when Adelaide has worked his transformation from a forward to a defender.

Second-ranked FREMANTLE also has masked its intentions for the final 22 with no player cast aside from the Dockers team that beat the Western Bulldogs in Perth.

Coach Ross Lyon has put defender Taylin Duman, versatile key position player Brennan Cox, ruckman Sean Darcy and midfielder Brett Bewley on call for promotion to play at the Oval in the Sunday twilight clash.

Duman is available for selection after clearing his one-match AFL suspension for striking.

Mature-age recruit Bewley, the No. 59 draftee, would play his first AFL game if he makes the final cut on Friday evening.

COLLINGWOOD has added firepower to its match 22 — regaining Jamie Elliott and Ben Reid — for its Friday Night Football clash with Port Adelaide.

They replace injured American Mason Cox (ankle) and discarded Geelong recruit Travis Varcoe.

PORT ADELAIDE opted for Karl Amon rather than Steven Moltop to replaced injured forward-midfielder Robbie Gray in the 22 seeking to honour former captain Travis Boak in his 250th game. Motlop travelled as the emergency.

COLLINGWOOD V PORT ADELAIDE

Friday, May 3, 7.20pm,

Marvel Stadium

MAGPIES

B: B. Maynard, J. Roughead, J. Howe

HB: J. Crisp, D. Moore, T. Langdon

C: S. Sidebottom, S. Pendlebury, T. Phillips

HF: J. Thomas, B. Reid, J. Elliott

F: J. Stephenson, B. Mihocek, W. Hoskin-Elliott

Followers: B. Grundy, T. Adams, J. De Goey

Interchange: A. Treloar, C.Brown, L.Greenwood, D. Beams

IN: Reid, Elliott

OUT: Cox (injured), Varcoe (omitted)

POWER

B: R Bonner, T. Clurey, D. Houston

HB: R. Burton, D. Howard, D. Byrne-Jones

C: X. Duursma, T. Rockliff, J. Westhoff

HF: T. Marshall, B. Ebert, Z. Butters

F: S. Gray, P. Ryder, C. Rozee

Followers: S. Lycett, O. Wines, T. Boak

Interchange: J. Lienert, W. Drew, S. Powell-Pepper, K. Amon

IN: Amon

OUT: Gray (injured)

ADELAIDE V FREMANTLE

Sunday, May 5, 4.10pm,

Adelaide Oval

CROWS

B: A. Keath, D. Talia, K. Hartigan

HB: B. Smith, R. Laird, D. Mackay

C: R. Knight, M. Crouch, R. Atkins

HF: H. Greenwood, T. Lynch, L. Mutphy

E. Himmelberg, T. Walker, E. Betts

Followers: R. O’Brien, R. Sloane, B. Crouch

Interchange (from): J. Jenkins, B. Gibbs, J. Gallucci, J. Kelly, M. Poholke, C. Jones, C. Ellis-Yolmen, D. Fogarty

IN: Jenkins, Gibbs, Jones, Fogarty

OUT: TBC

DOCKERS

B: J. Hamling, A. Pearce, L. Ryan

HB: R. Conca, N. Wilson, E. Hughes

C: E. Langdon, N. Fyfe, B. Hill

HF: M. Walters, A. Brayshaw, T. Colyer

F. Hogan, M. Taberner, B. Matera

Followers: R. Lobb, D. Tucker, D. Mundy

Interchange (from): R. Nyhuis, S. Switkowski, A. Cerra, C. McCarthy, B. Bewley, B. Cox, S. Darcy, T. Duman

IN: Bewley, Cox, Darcy, Duman

OUT: TBC