AFL 2024: All the latest Adelaide Crows news ahead of their clash with Sydney

All eyes will be on the Crows in their clash with the Swans on Saturday night, and there’s some starpower on the way back for a must-win match.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 06: Brodie Smith of the Crows and Liam Baker of the Tigers during the 2024 AFL Round 13 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Richmond Tigers at Adelaide Oval on June 06, 2024 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Adelaide has held off bringing back Taylor Walker against Sydney, with leadership group member Brodie Smith among those dropped by the Crows.

But gun midfielder Rory Laird has been named to take on the Swans despite him limping out of training with a knee issue.

Walker trained on Wednesday evening but his back didn’t pull up well on Thursday.

With the Crows mid-season bye after this Saturday’s clash against the Swans at Adelaide Oval, it was decided to hold off bringing Walker back into the team.

Crows footy boss Adam Kelly said Walker was “not quite ready in time for this week’s game but we look forward to his return after the bye”.

Taylor Walker will not face the Swans. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Even with Walker not returning the Crows have dropped key forward Chris Burgess, along with Smith and Ned McHenry from the side that went down to Richmond last week - which has led to the club copping pressure from fans and from media.

Defender James Borlase played as a key forward against the Tigers last week but has named at half-back for the Crows.

It means the Crows go into the clash against the ladder-leading Sydney with just the one recognised key forward - Darcy Fogarty.

Star forward Izak Rankine has been named after recovering from a hamstring injury, Brayden Cook returns after missing last week from a knee injury and Nick Murray will play his first AFL game this year after suffering an ACL injury last year.

Kelly said it would be a massive boost to have Murray back in the team.

“It is a real boost to have Muz back in the team,” Kelly said.

“He is a very important player to us and to have him return from his ACL injury in the manner that he has over the past two games in the SANFL is a great credit to him and to our High Performance and Medical team.

“We love his appetite for the contest, where he leaves no doubt about his competitiveness and hunger to win and that is why he is loved by his teammates and why his comeback to the AFL team will be celebrated.

“It is (also) great to have Izak return to the team, we feel he has elevated his game in 2024 and he was in terrific form leading up to his injury.

“He is a special player who has worked hard to maximise the impact that he can have on games and that has been evident this year.

“Brayden only missed the one week with a minor knee injury and was building his form at AFL level beforehand.

“After a stretch of nine consecutive games, we were seeing more consistently his strengths come to the fore and we look forward to Brayden continuing to build on this throughout the remainder of the season.”

Brodie Smith has been dropped. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Kieran Strachan keeps his spot as the Crows’ ruckman with Reilly O’Brien named as an emergency with Smith and Burgess.

Billy Dowling has been named on the field.

.

NICKS PRAISES ‘SUPPORT’ AT CROWS AS EXTERNAL PRESSURE BUILDS

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says he is feeling the support from the club’s hierarchy as external pressure ramps up on him and the team.

The Crows have received a ton of criticism from fans and in the media after last Thursday night’s eight-point home loss to Richmond left them win 15th spot with a 4-1-8 record.

Nicks said the club had stuck together while looking to respond on the field against ladder-leading Sydney at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

Nicks’ team is looking for a response. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“I’ve got a lot of really good support around me … and I feel that support, especially in times like this when we are under pressure,” Nicks said.

“I’m talking about the likes of (chairman) John Olsen and (chief executive) Tim Silvers who are really there for me at the moment.”

Nicks said he had spoken to mentors outside the club since the loss but he did that every week.

“That's ongoing, it’s not wait for the walls to fall in,” he said.

“I’m continually trying to make myself better, as we all are.”

Adelaide looked set to make a swag of changes for the Swans game, including regaining speedster Izak Rankine (hamstring) and spearhead Taylor Walker (back).

Both lined up in the A team during match simulation on Wednesday, as did key defender Nick Murray who looked set to make his AFL comeback from an ACL injury sustained last July.

Midfielder Rory Laird is in doubt after hobbling off the training track with a knee knock.

Last week’s debutant Billy Dowling was with the B side and Nicks hinted he might be the substitute.

Nicks confirmed Billy Dowling will stay in the side. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“I thought Billy came in and held his head up,” he said.

“Billy will play again, it’ll just be in what role.

“There’s so many what-ifs still up in the air in terms of selection.”

Nicks said his side knew how to beat the Swans, but that did not mean it would.

“We know we’ve got the game to do it, it’s a matter of executing,” he said.

“We know what we look like at our best so the levers we pull are ‘what are we missing at the moment?’ … it’s our ability to get at the game and take the game on.

“We’re unable to hold the ball in our front half.”

Originally published as AFL 2024: All the latest Adelaide Crows news ahead of their clash with Sydney