Crows recall midfielder Hugh Greenwood to help tackle Bulldogs’ midfield in Ballarat
Adelaide assistant coach Scott Camporeale discusses Hugh Greenwood’s recall, why Sam Jacobs got the nod ahead of Reilly O’Brien and why the Crows want big ‘Sauce’ to stay at the club next year.
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Adelaide midfielder Hugh Greenwood has been called up to help contain the Western Bulldogs’ midfield in Ballarat on Sunday after laying 25 tackles in two weeks in the SANFL.
In what may be his last game for the Crows unless he and the club can find common ground on a new contract, Greenwood returns to the side as reinforcement against the likes of Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae and Josh Dunkley.
The Crows are fighting for their season and must beat the Dogs on Sunday to have any hope of playing finals.
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Adelaide’s other changes see Alex Keath return from injury at the expense of Kyle Hartigan and Riley Knight returns after being a late withdrawal from last week’s loss to Collingwood. Reilly O’Brien has been dropped as the Crows opt for Sam Jacobs as their solo ruckman.
“Greenwood is in, obviously with Bontempelli and Macrae we felt like we needed another bigger body through there,” assistant coach Scott Camporeale said on Saturday.
“He was really good in the SANFL last week Hughy so good to have him back in … he’ll definitely go around with one of those guys.
“But if you put one away the other two will bob up so we have to make sure it’s a holistic thing and not just one guy.
“Riley Knight comes back in and he was in pretty good form so he’ll give us a bit more run and bit through the forwardline and midfield.
“It was a tough one (with the ruckmen), we thought last week Sauce probably just got the nod ahead of him in terms of head-to-head and we didn’t feel like we needed to carry two in this week.”
With speculation Jacobs is considering a move to GWS next year, Camporeale said he doesn’t know whether playing the last two games of the season would have any bearing on his future.
“I don’t know, you’d have to ask Sauce, I’m not too sure,” Camporeale said.
“But we rate Sam really highly, he’s a great person around the footy club and has been a great mentor for Reilly as well and we’d love to have him.”
The Crows are limping to the finish line in Ballarat, having lost six of their last eight games including a capitulation to Collingwood last weekend but Camporeale said they still believe.
“I think we take on board that yeah we didn’t play well last week but we still think as a footy club and the playing group still believes that their best is good enough and there’s a lot to play for again this weekend,” he said.
“In a two-horse race you just never know.”