Adelaide Crows hopeful on averting defensive crisis after rising Star runner-up Tom Doedee leaves training track early

Adelaide is staying positive after booking AFL Rising Star runner-up Tom Doedee in for scans on a quad injury suffered at training on Thursday morning.

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Adelaide hopes it has avoided an early-season key defensive crisis, with AFL Rising Star runner-up Tom Doedee to have scans on a quad injury he suffered at training on Thursday.

Doedee left the track at the club’s West Lakes headquarters at Football Park after the warm-up and some light kicking drills, complaining of soreness, and did not return.

Scans on Friday will determine the extent of the damage and the club is “hopeful’’ it isn’t serious, with fellow key defenders Daniel Talia and Kyle Hartigan already in the rehabilitation group.

Both are recovering from knee surgery.

Tom Doedee and Rory Sloane at preseason training. Picture Sarah Reed

Hartigan underwent end-of-season operations on both knees but is back running and kicking.

Dual All-Australian Talia had surgery on his left knee in December after a mishap at home.

He is unlikely to play in the opening round of the Crows’ JLT pre-season series against Port Adelaide on March 2.

Hartigan also might have a delayed start to the pre-season competition.

Veteran half-back/midfielder David Mackay said the club did not believe Doedee’s injury was significant and that all three key backmen should be cherry-ripe to play in round one of the premiership season against Hawthorn on March 23.

“Tom will have a precautionary scan, that’s just something that bobbed up,” Mackay said.

“This time of the pre-season, we’ve got a period of time before we start playing, so it’s really just taking every precaution, making sure we’re not pushing anything.

“So Tom will have the scan done and we’ll conservatively manage that and hopefully it’s nothing too major.

“I think it was just a bit of tightness and we’re taking no risk and every precaution and he should be fine.”

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Doedee, 21, was a revelation in his debut season for Adelaide last year playing a similar interceptor’s role to the departed Jake Lever, who joined Melbourne.

After being a shock first-round draft selection (No. 17 overall) in 2015, he spent two years refining his game in the SANFL before debuting in round one against Essendon and playing 20 games.

He suffered a broken collarbone in round 22 against North Melbourne and missed the final round against Carlton.

An excellent intercept marking defender, Doedee averaged 18 disposals and six marks.

He finished second in the Rising Star behind Collingwood forward Jaidyn Stephenson

Mackay said Hartigan and Talia were on track to play in round one.

“Harto has done quite a bit of work, he’s just had to build up really slowly,” Mackay said.

“He’s really close to joining the main group again.

“And (Talia), he had done a lot of work prior to his operation, so that’s going to hold him in pretty good stead.

“He’s started running, so he’s back on his feet and moving.

“He’ll progress pretty quickly now that he’s started running again, and he’s really positive where his rehab is at.”