Crows bring back veteran Brodie Smith, name debutant Dan Curtin for Showdown as Port names Connor Rozee

The Power has backed in their skipper despite a hamstring scare, while the Crows have named a veteran and a debutant for a massive Thursday night Showdown. See the teams HERE.

Adelaide has brought back veteran Brodie Smith alongside debutant Dan Curtin for a massive Showdown clash on Thursday night, while Connor Rozee has been named despite a hamstring concern.

Rozee injured his hamstring last weekend against St Kilda but passed a fitness test on Wednesday.

Aliir Aliir will miss with concussion in an incident which left Saints forward Jack Higgins suspended, with Ryan Burton to step into the defensive void.

Jed McEntee comes in for Sam Powell-Pepper, who did his ACL last weekend.

Adelaide has regained Jordan Butts from injury, with James Borlase and Will Hamill omitted and Luke Pedlar injured.

ROZEE PASSES FITNESS TEST AHEAD OF SHOWDOWN

— Matt Turner

Ken Hinkley is confident Connor Rozee will line up in the Showdown six days after straining his hamstring, describing the injury as “minor” and risk of playing as “normal”.

Port Adelaide captain Rozee passed a fitness test on Tuesday and was put through his paces again at Alberton on Wednesday, 30-odd hours before the first bounce against the Crows.

Hinkley was very surprised his star would be available after finishing last week’s home win over St Kilda on the bench on ice, nursing what scans showed to be a lower-grade strain.

But Rozee and the Power’s medical staff had convinced him he was fine to play.

Asked why he was so optimistic, Hinkley said the club had done all the required testing and “we wouldn’t take an unnecessary risk”.

“There’s always a risk with an injury to a hamstring of any type,” Hinkley said.

“For those people sitting there with the doomsayers saying ‘you’re taking a big risk’, we’re not.

“We’re taking a normal risk with an injury like this.

“When you see him run like he was running yesterday, it’s hard not to pick him.”

Ken Hinkley says Connor Rozee is ready to go for the Showdown. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Rozee heads to the bench after hurting his hamstring. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Hinkley said this was not the first six-day turnaround from a “minor soft-tissue injury” he had seen in his time at the club, recalling a similar recovery from veteran Travis Boak.

Along with Rozee, forward Jeremy Finlayson is available after serving his three-game suspension for making a homophobic slur.

Hinkley kept his cards close to his chest regarding selection, including if Finlayson would receive an immediate recall.

He said Finlayson had done a lot of work over the past month and was emotionally ready “to take on the next part of that challenge”.

“He’s a pretty resilient fella, he’s been through a fair bit,” he said.

“This is his own doing, but we expect he’ll be able to handle most of the stuff that comes his way.”

Port Adelaide captain Connor Rozee and Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson with the Variety Showdown Shield. Picture: Tom Huntley

Defender Ryan Burton looks poised to replace Aliir Aliir (concussion) after getting dropped last week, while pressure forward Jed McEntee appears in line to come in for Sam Powell-Pepper (knee).

Hinkley expected forward Mitch Georgiades to play after being managed through training on Tuesday when he was running with Rozee.

The Power enters Thursday night’s match as a warm favourite with bookmakers amid a 5-2 start to the season compared to the Crows’ 2-5 win-loss record.

But Hinkley was wary of Adelaide, which had won three of the past four Showdowns.

“I think their form’s not quite as accurate as the ladder says,” he said of the 12th-placed Crows.

“I think they’re much better than that.”

Originally published as Crows bring back veteran Brodie Smith, name debutant Dan Curtin for Showdown as Port names Connor Rozee