Showdown 55 news: All the latest team news ahead of Thursday night’s Showdown

The Crows are set to welcome a prized young gun to the AFL spotlight on the biggest of stages, and coach Matthew Nicks has backed in his new star.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 20: Daniel Curtin is seen with Mark Bickley after being selected at number eight by the Adelaide Crows during the 2023 AFL Draft at Marvel Stadium on November 20, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says Dan Curtin’s latest SANFL performance showed he is primed for a Showdown debut.

“He stood up and said ‘I’m ready to play’,” Nicks told reporters on the back of the 19-year-old’s 31-disposal, seven-mark and one-goal display against North Adelaide on Saturday.

Curtin will on Thursday night join a select group when he makes his debut in a Power-Crows clash.

Adelaide fans had been clamouring for the club’s top pick in last year’s national draft (No. 8) to be blooded for several weeks.

Nicks, whose side was coming off its second victory of the season after beating North Melbourne by 57 points in Hobart, said the time was right.

“Some might have said he’s been ready prior to this,” he said.

“It’s a decision you make not just around Dan but the team as well, where the group sits, the balance of the side, how we’re performing, is the team ready for him to come in.

“He’s going to bring some real weapons to this game that we know are going to be important to this footy club going forward.

Daniel Curtin will debut in the Showdown. Pic: Michael Klein

“But we don’t expect him to come out and dominate a Showdown in his first game.

“We feel that he’s ready mentally and physically to play a game at this level and are confident he’ll be a really important part of where we’re going.”

Curtin was set to play as a “hybrid” defender on Thursday night, manning small and medium Port forwards.

That was the role he played against the Roosters, having spent most of the early part of the season standing some of the SANFL’s best spearheads.

“We won’t put him on Charlie Dixon right off the bat but in time with his size we hope he’ll be able to develop into a player that has flexibility to do both,” Nicks said.

Nicks denied reports that forward/midfielder Luke Pedlar would have season-ending shoulder surgery, saying that was still undecided.

“We’ve still got a fair bit to work through there from a risk point of view,” he said.

“We’re going to give him every possible chance to try to get himself back this year.”

Nicks would not reveal team selections beyond Curtin’s inclusion and Pedlar’s absence.

When told Port counterpart Ken Hinkley was similarly noncommittal, Nicks joked: “It’s getting serious”.

“We’re trying to now build some momentum because after our last win (against Carlton) we had a really disappointing performance (versus Essendon) and we want to make sure we make amends for that,” he said.

Nicks would not weigh into whether the Power should risk captain Connor Rozee six days after suffering a low-grade hamstring strain.

“I’ve never spoken for Ken and I won’t start now,” he said.

Originally published as Showdown 55 news: All the latest team news ahead of Thursday night’s Showdown