Crows defence faces shake-up if scans reveal serious foot injury to key defender Daniel Talia
CROWS cricket convert Alex Keath could find his way back to the AFL for the first time this season if a foot injury rules out key defender Daniel Talia from Adelaide’s last-gasp clash with Geelong on Thursday.
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ADELAIDE could push its “players used” count for this season to 33 with the recall of defender Alex Keath for his first AFL game in almost 11 months.
The Crows are destined for another refit of their defence if medical scans on Monday to Daniel Talia’s injured foot put the key defender out of Thursday night’s must-win clash with finals-bound Geelong at Adelaide Oval.
Keath last played in the AFL — in his conversion from first-class cricket — in Adelaide’s home-and-away season closer against West Coast in Perth on August 27. This trip closed a solid six-game audition that took the 26-year-old Victorian off the rookie list to the senior list at West Lakes this season.
That game against the Eagles also marks the last time Talia was not the key man in the Adelaide defence — and the only game the master stopper has missed by injury (a toe problem) in the past three seasons.
Talia is describing his current foot injury — suffered late in the first term of Friday night’s 47-point loss to AFL premier Richmond at the MCG — as the continuation of a challenge he has carried “on and off throughout the year”.
While Talia played out the game — after being treated at the quarter-time break — he was limited in his movements. If the scans force Adelaide to add Talia to its long injury list, the 197cm Keath becomes a key talking point at selection — more so to add to the options to cover Geelong key forward Tom Hawkins after a shaky game from 194cm defender Kyle Hartigan at the MCG on Friday night.
Adelaide’s current “player used” tally of 32 — that includes calling up three of the six rookie-listed players this season — compares with 31 last season when the Crows were minor premiers, 29 in 2016 and 32 in 2015.
The focus on Adelaide’s injury list this season — and the need to work deep into the squad — is more noted this year because of the heavy hits and long absences of key Crows players.
One of these players is vice-captain and All-Australian midfielder Rory Sloane, who missed 11 weeks with a foot injury. The free agent’s work against the Tigers — his second game in his comeback — was most reassuring considering the alarmist concerns that came with Sloane being diagnosed with a strain to the Lisfranc ligament to his right foot.
Fellow midfielder Bryce Gibbs noted of Sloane’s solid return with 31 disposals against the Tigers: “He’s back. He was probably a bit rusty last week (against West Coast) and it probably took him a week to find his feet again. But his high-contested numbers and clearances (against Richmond) set the benchmark.”
Eleventh-ranked Adelaide (7-8) is on a tightrope chasing its fourth consecutive AFL top-eight finals series. The Crows must win six of their remaining seven home-and-away games to be part of the September series.
“It’s very simple for us — we’ve just got to keep winning games,” said Crows forward Tom Lynch of Adelaide’s finals equation.
Adelaide’s run in the remaining seven home-and-away games is Geelong at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night, also-ran Brisbane (Gabba), top-eight side Melbourne (Adelaide Oval), top-four contender Port Adelaide in Showdown 44 at Adelaide Oval on Saturday August 4, Greater Western Sydney in Canberra, would-be finalist North Melbourne (Adelaide Oval) and Carlton (Etihad Stadium).
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au
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