Crows take new-look attack to Kardinia Park as Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley backs youth

Crows coach Don Pyke is giving a mature forward his AFL start at Kardinia Park as Port Adelaide mentor Ken Hinkley also favours in-form youth at selection

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Don Pyke and Ken Hinkley are backing in-form youth — and experienced Adelaide midfielder Bryce Gibbs is back — as the Crows and Port Adelaide face big tests in the precursor to their finals-shaping Showdown.

Pyke is handing 22-year-old forward Ben Davis his hard-earned AFL debut on the toughest road trip in national football with the Friday Night Football clash against Geelong at Kardinia Park where the Crows have not won in 16 years.

Davis, Gibbs and forward-ruckman Elliott Himmelberg are called up to deal with three forced changes as Adelaide resumes from the mid-season break looking to stay in contention for a top-four finish to September’s AFL finals.

Ben Davis of the Crows during a pre-season under-23s trial against the Power at Thebarton Oval in February. Picture: Image AAP/Mark Brake

They replace key forward Josh Jenkins (knee), midfielder Cam Ellis-Yolmen (shin) and gamebreaker Wayne Milera (back).

Gibbs returns for his first AFL game since his surprise demotion to the SANFL despite a telling shutdown role on Melbourne’s All-Australian midfielder Clayton Oliver in Darwin on June 1.

Himmelberg fell out of the AFL line-up when Jenkins was recalled after the Crows’ home loss to West Coast on May 25. Pyke preferred the 21-year-old Himmelberg to veteran ruckman Sam Jacobs who remains in the SANFL seeking to dislodge Adelaide’s new No. 1 ruckman Reilly O’Brien.

Davis, the No. 75 pick in the 2016 AFL national draft, has significantly changed his game from a key forward to a more flexible forward-wingman this season.

Geelong has made a modest reaction to the 11-point loss to Port Adelaide by recalling half-forward Lachie Fogarty and disciplined defender Jed Bews. They replace injured Sydney recruit Gary Rohan and ruckman Darcy Fort.

At Port Adelaide, Hinkley again declared his 22 early after training on Thursday with the recall of ruckman Peter Ladhams for his second AFL game and midfielder Willem Drew for his ninth, this time against the Western Bulldogs at Adelaide Oval on Saturday evening.

They replace suspended pair Dougal Howard and Karl Amon, who were handed one-match bans by AFL match review officer Michael Christian for their indiscretions against Geelong at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

Ladhams returns after an encouraging AFL debut against Hawthorn at Launceston on May 25. Drew ended an eight-game after the Showdown loss to Adelaide on May 11.

“Both boys all season have probably played as good football as they have ever played,” Hinkley said. “They are in great form — and they now have the opportunity to come into the side to play a role we need them to play.”

Hinkley is not seeking to simply replace Howard with Ladhams, noting the 202cm Ladhams offers more in ruck in partnership with West Coast premiership hero Scott Lycett.

“Peter is capable of more ruck time (than Howard); that certainly gives us some flexibility,” Hinkley said. “We hope — and want — Scott to play as well as he did last week. But if it is not quite working — and we respect what the Bulldogs have in ruck — we have another option.

“Pete is a mobile tall, not just a plod-round-the-ground big man.

“He was really unlucky (to be dropped after the Hawthorn loss). Absolutely unlucky.”

Hinkley dismissed concerns with midfielder Dan Houston and small forward Sam Gray.

“Houston is fine; he has not done much at training but as to how he is feeling, in his own words he is better than he was this time last week,” Hinkley said. “So that gives you some good confidence.”

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has kept the 22 who pushed highly-ranked Collingwood to within nine points at Docklands on Sunday.

GEELONG V ADELAIDE

Friday June 28, 7:20pm, GMHBA Stadium

CATS

B: Tuohy, Kolodjashnij, O’Connor

HB: Henry, Taylor, Stewart

C: Dangerfield, Kelly, Duncan

HF: Dahlhaus, Fogarty, Hawkins

F: Ablett, Bews, Atkins

FOLL: Blicavs, Guthrie, J. Selwood

I/C: Stanley, Miers, Clark, Parfitt

EMG: Parsons, Smith, Buzza, S. Selwood

IN: Fogarty, Bews

OUT: Fort, Rohan

CROWS

B: Brown, Talia, Laird

HB: Smith, Keath, Gibbs

C: Atkins, B. Crouch, Kelly

HF: Gallucci, Walker, Douglas

F: Greenwood, Himmelberg, Betts

FOLL: O’Brien, M. Crouch, Sloane

I/C: Seedsman, Hartigan, Davis, Murphy

EMG: Mackay, Jones, Otten, Jacobs

IN: Gibbs, Himmelberg, Davis

OUT: Milera, Jenkins, Ellis-Yolmen

PORT ADELAIDE v WESTERN BULLDOGS

Saturday June 29, 7:20pm, Adelaide Oval

POWER

B: Burton, Clurey, Bonner

HB: Hartlett, Jonas, Byrne-Jones

C: Duursma, R. Gray, Ebert

HF: Boak, Ladhams, Farrell

F: S. Gray, Dixon, Rozee

FOLL: Lycett, Wines, Houston

I/C: Garner, Motlop, Drew, Butters

EMG: Sutcliffe, Rockliff, Marshall, McKenzie

IN: Ladhams, Drew

OUT: Howard, Amon

BULLDOGS

B: Johannisen, Trengove, Williams

HB: Daniel, Cordy, Wood

C: Hunter, Smith, Lipinski

HF: Suckling, Schache, Lloyd

F: Bontempelli, Naughton, Dickson

FOLL: English, Dunkley, Macrae

I/C: Crozier, Duryea, Richards, Smith

EMG: Le. Young, McLean, Vandermeer, La. Young

No changes