AFL 2022: All the Adelaide and Port Adelaide news ahead of the Showdown

Adelaide has ruled on Rory Sloane’s hopes of being fit for the Showdown as another star prepares to play his first game of the season. Get the latest Showdown build-up.

Adelaide will be without captain Rory Sloane for Friday night’s Showdown, but will get reigning Club Champion Rory Laird back into its line-up for the vital clash.

Sloane tried to prove his fitness for the Showdown at Crows training on Thursday.

But Adelaide senior coach Matthew Nicks said the Crows could not take the risk with Sloane.

“Sloaney won’t play,” he said.

“Unfortunately for us that’s our captain … but we won’t risk it.

“He would play on one leg if we allowed him but he has done the right thing, he’s put the team first.”

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Rory Laird will return for the Showdown. Picture: Michael Klein

Laird has missed the first two games after suffering a broken hand in the Community Series match against Port Adelaide.

But he will return for Friday night’s clash with both sides 0-2.

“Lairdy will play,” Nicks said.

“We will go in, we have a pretty hungry group and we are disappointed with the showing we put out there (against Collingwood in Round 2).”

Nicks said he hoped Sloane would only be out for one week.

Riley Thilthorpe will again play in the SANFL side, while Billy Frampton and Jackson Hately are in the mix to get AFL call-ups.

Originally published as AFL 2022: All the Adelaide and Port Adelaide news ahead of the Showdown