Major medical reports will decide how far Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide need to go with critical selection issues this week

DON Pyke and Ken Hinkley have genuine options for change — both forced and unforced at selection — as the Crows and Port Adelaide deal with injuries and form questions at match committee this week.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS. Harrison Wigg is contending for his AFL debut as Adelaide prepares to be without midfielder Brad Crouch with surgery to correct a fractured cheekbone. Picture: Stephen Laffer.

DON Pyke and Ken Hinkley have genuine options for change — both forced and unforced at selection — as the Crows and Port Adelaide deal with injuries and form questions at match committee this week.

Adelaide is expected to lose midfielder Brad Crouch for at least two games after surgery to correct a fractured cheekbone. Untried left-footer Harrison Wigg made his case for his AFL start with 27 touches at Norwood Oval on Sunday as Pyke was handed a strong list of contenders for Crouch’s role in the Crows engine.

Wigg’s creative work — with seven inside-50s — at The Parade further enhances the 2014 AFL draftee’s chances of finally earning his place in the Crows’ senior side.

There also is the mounting push for the return of Collingwood recruit Paul Seedsman, who has not played in the AFL since suffering a hip injury in Adelaide’s 138-point thrashing of Brisbane at Adelaide Oval on August 6 last year.

His AFL prospects this season have been hindered by a long-term groin injury.

The Crows have an unforced change to make, with defender Jake Lever to resume after missing Friday night’s defining 21-point win against Geelong, which has Adelaide bound for a top-two finish to September’s finals.

This is expected to end the feel-good return from first-class cricket to Australian football of upgraded rookie defender Alex Keith.

Port Adelaide is facing far more testing decisions after its top-four prospects were shot by the 23-point loss to Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday.

Midfielder Chad Wingard will have scans on his left ankle today with the Power praying he does not missing more than the games against St Kilda at Adelaide Oval on Saturday and Showdown 43 against the top-ranked Crows on Sunday week.

The list of contenders for Wingard’s roles — based on the Magpies’ win against Glenelg at Alberton on Sunday — are specialist forward Aaron Young (34 touches), Brendon AhChee (29) and Karl Amon (28).

Amon’s return — after being on the sidelines with a knee injury since May 25 — was coupled with defender Jack Hombsch making his case for an AFL recall, more so than Jasper Pittard. After answering the coach’s call to stand up as a one-on-one defender, Hombsch is most likely to regain his spot in the back six at the expense of Logan Austin.

Hinkley’s response to the poor first half against the Demons — after putting all Power players on notice by dumping Hombsch in the lead-up to the home win against North Melbourne on July 15 — will draw much scrutiny.

But senior assistant Matthew Nicks already has highlighted a calm approach at match committee because there are far too many Power players to hold to account for Saturday’s costly loss, which has probably ended Port Adelaide’s top-four hopes.

“We had a number of guys who were off on the day,” Nicks said.

“We have to back the group in. They have shown we can trust them to play the way we want them to play — and they have been consistent this season.

“Hopefully, we will get a response this week — I am sure we will.”

Nicks has forecast Wingard could miss as many as three games from the third-quarter knock he took to his left ankle.

“Fingers crossed it is nothing major,” Nicks said. “It is a high ankle sprain — rolled inward and with weight on it. We’ll definitely lose him for a few.”

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