Adelaide Crows regain captain Taylor Walker, but no Jake Lever

TAYLOR Walker is back - but the continued absence of another key position Crow, defender Jake Lever, could lead to more attention from AFL rivals.

TAYLOR Walker is back - but the continued absence of another key position Crow, defender Jake Lever, could lead to more attention from AFL rivals.

Walker will resume in the Adelaide attack on Saturday against Hawthorn at the MCG, exactly 21 days after his pre-season closed with a hamstring injury.

But Lever, who at the weekend impressed observers in the SANFL trials as he made a comeback from his hamstring woes in the pre-season, is staying out of AFL action with the Crows more than comfortable with its versatile defenders to handle the smarting Hawks.

Captain Taylor Walker at Adelaide Crows training at Football Park.

Lever is on the three-man emergency list, along with Carlton recruit Troy Menzel who loses his place in the Adelaide forward zone to make way for Walker.

While Lever remains out of sight, the 21-year-old Victorian is also out of contract at the end of the season - and having his value increased by interest from major Melbourne-based clubs, such as Collingwood.

So is out-of-contract West Australian Mitch McGovern, who - after an impressive showing in the Walker-less attack last week against Greater Western Sydney at Adelaide Oval - made sure the impending auction for his signature with further stretch the Crows’ payroll.

AFL rivals to the east and west of the Adelaide Football Club are moving on Lever and McGovern believing one will slip out of West Lakes if the Crows - as expected - make a million-dollar-a-season offer to Richmond free agent, Dustin Martin.

HAWTHORN reacted to its opening-round collapse against Essendon with four changes.

The Hawks have called up premiership captain Luke Hodge (after serving the leadership group’s one-game ban for being late to training in the pre-season), SA draftee Ryan Burton, swingman Teia Miles and left-footed midfielder Kade Stewart.

They replace SA recruit Ryan Schoenmakers, defender Taylor Duryea, midfielder Billy Hartung and forward James Sicily.

Luke Hodge returns to the Hawks line-up against Adelaide on Saturday.

PORT ADELAIDE on Friday will confirm its match 22 to play Fremantle on Sunday at Adelaide Oval after adding Jarman Impey and tyros Joe Atley and Willem Drew to its preliminary 25-man squad.

There is no cut from the 22 who stunned Sydney by 28 points while breaking a hoodoo at the SCG on Saturday.

Impey seems a certain call up - either for Sam Gray or Karl Amon - after serving the one-game ban posed by the Power leadership group for his off-season mess after a team party at The Parade last year.

Neither Atley nor Drew have played AFL, but made an impression in the JLT Community Series pre-season games.

Power coach Ken Hinkley did not call up the experienced Nathan Krakouer, who is free of the AFL-imposed ban from the pre-season competition.

FREMANTLE also has added three, but cut none before coach Ross Lyon nominates his match 22 today.

The Dockers will honor former Port Adelaide midfielder Danyle Pearce who plays his 250th AFL game on Sunday.

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Originally published as Adelaide Crows regain captain Taylor Walker, but no Jake Lever