Crows midfielder Brad Crouch has done “a mountain of work” in pre-season, says assistant coach Scott Camporeale

Star midfielder Brad Crouch will have his game-time monitored when he makes his long-awaited — and much-anticipated — comeback for Adelaide on Saturday.

ON SHOW: Crows first-round draftees Ned McHenry (left) and Chayce Jones will get the chance to showcase their talents in the under-23 clash against Port Adelaide. Picture: Adam Trafford/Getty Images

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Star midfielder Brad Crouch will have his game time monitored when he makes his long-awaited — and much-anticipated — comeback for Adelaide on Saturday.

The 25-year-old ball magnet will play his first competitive game since the Crows’ 2017 grand final loss to Richmond when they play hometown rival Port Adelaide in a mostly under-23 trial at Thebarton Oval.

“Our supporters should be excited to see him back out there,’’ Adelaide senior assistant coach Scott Camporeale said.

“We are internally and I know the players are rapt to see him back because he does make a difference for us.’’

Crouch missed the entire 2018 season because of a chronic groin condition that eventually required surgery.

Camporeale said Crouch would likely start in the centre square but how much game time he sees will be a decision the club makes during the match.

“We’ll be guided by how he goes because clearly we want to make sure that he’s right to go for the JLT (Community Series) component of our preparation going into round one (of the premiership season),’’ he said.

“We are mindful he hasn’t played for 12 months but we’re confident with where he is at because clearly he’s been able to do a mountain of work, which is great.’’

Adelaide’s Brad Crouch during pre-season training at Football park. Picture: Sarah Reed

Crouch is one of 11 senior-listed Crows in the young squad to have played AFL.

Ruckman Reilly O’Brien, forward/midfielders Riley Knight and Jordan Gallucci, defender Alex Keath, small forward Lachlan Murphy and key utility Darcy Fogarty are among those who will be trying to push their case for a round one spot.

AFL Rising Star runner-up Tom Doedee is a lock in Adelaide’s best team.

“There’s a couple of guys vying for round one spots so it’s an opportunity for them to put their hand up and make it difficult for selection,’’ Camporeale said.

All six of Adelaide’s 2018 draftees — Chayce Jones, Ned McHenry, Will Hamill, Lachlan Sholl, Kieran Strachan and Jordon Butts — will pull on the Crows colours for the first time, alongside more mature recruits Tyson Stengle (from Richmond) and Shane McAdam (Sturt).

“The guys that we drafted haven’t played against men yet, they came from the under-18 competition, so it will be a step up for them,’’ Camporeale said.

“But they’ll get their first opportunity to put their best foot forward and we have no limitations on the guys that we draft about whether they are ready to play or not.

“It will be around the team to beat Hawthorn in round one as to whether they can do it but I’m pretty comfortable with the group that we’ve got in that they can all push for selection for round one.’’

Adelaide, whose main injury concerns are over midfielder Hugh Greenwood (abdominal strain) and small defender Luke Brown (Achilles/ankle), will be coached on Saturday by State League coach and development manager Heath Younie, with senior coach Don Pyke watching from the sidelines.

The Crows’ youth team will be filled out by eight members of their SANFL development squad.

Port is fielding a stronger team than Adelaide, with half-back Matthew Broadbent to take the next step in his return from a long-term foot/ankle injury that kept him out of AFL football last season.

Key off-season recruit Ryan Burton (from Hawthorn) has been named while defender Trent McKenzie will play for the first time since having shoulder surgery in November.
First-round draftees Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma will get the chance to push for round one debuts after strong showings in last week’s intraclub match.
The Power has named just four SANFL development players.
The match, to be live streamed by both clubs, will start at 11am, with entry free.

CROWS SQUAD: B. Crouch, R. Knight, J. Gallucci, M. Poholke, T. Stengle, C. Jones, S. McAdam, N. McHenry, P. Wilson, D. Fogarty, W. Hamill, P. Hunter, L. Sholl, T. Doedee, B. Davis, J. Butts, A. Keath, R. O’Brien, L. Murphy, K. Strachan, M. Wright, J. Boyle, D. Hill, M. Johnson, H. Latchford, J. Mathews, L. Ryan, P. Seymour.

POWER SQUAD: K. Amon, R. Bonner, M. Broadbent, D. Bryne-Jones, R. Burton, Z, Butters, T. Cox, W. Drew, X. Duursma, K. Farrell, B. Frampton, M. Frederick, J. Garner, S. Gray, C. Hewett, D. Howard, A. Johnson, P. Ladhams, T. Marshall, T. McKenzie, J. Patmore, K. Pudney, C. Rozee, B. Woodcock, T. Corcoran, J. Elsworthy, A. Mahney, M. Mead.

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