Adelaide ruckman Sam Jacobs will put the birth of his first child ahead of Friday’s match against the Western Bulldogs

ADELAIDE ruckman Sam Jacobs will put family before football and miss Friday night’s game against the Western Bulldogs if his wife Izzy is in labour.

Adelaide ruckman Sam Jacobs walks to the bench after hurting his back in Showdown 44. Picture: Sarah Reed.

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ADELAIDE ruckman Sam Jacobs will put family before football and withdraw from Friday night’s game against the Western Bulldogs if his wife Izzy is in labour.

Jacobs, who is nursing a sore back after being hurt in the epic five-point Showdown 44 loss to Port Adelaide, said he would not miss the birth of the couple’s first child under any circumstances.

“Absolutely I wouldn’t play footy if the baby comes around that time,” Jacobs told The Advertiser.

“Family is very important to me and I want to be there to support Izzy, as well as enjoy the experience.

“As much as I love footy, family will definitely be the number one priority and I will be at the birth.’’

Adelaide Crows ruckman Sam Jacobs and his wife Izzy on announcing Izzy’s pregnancy on Instagram

The Jacobs’ baby is due in the middle of the week.

Speculation was rife before the Showdown that Jacobs was going to be a late withdrawal because his wife had gone into labour.

Jacobs denied this, saying he is not sure how the rumours started and that Izzy was at the football with him.

“Obviously Izzy is very heavily pregnant but I’ve got no idea how those rumours began because everything was fine on Saturday,’’ he said.

“My phone started running hot that afternoon with people asking me what was going on

but I was never in any doubt of playing.

“I was getting organised for the game as usual and Izzy was there for the whole match as well.’’

Jacobs, who lost his older brother Aaron to illness last August, said he is “very fortunate’’ that Friday night’s match is a Crows home game at Adelaide Oval and that he won’t have to be concerned with travelling.

“As soon as Izzy shows any signs of having the baby I’ll be able to get moving and be at the hospital with her,’’ he said.

Jacobs, 30, hurt his back late in the first quarter of the derby loss and while he returned in the second quarter to play out the game, it was under duress.

The football ironman — he has played 165 of Adelaide’s past 169 matches — was still “very sore’’ yesterday.

Paddy Ryder and Sam Jacobs contest the ruck. Picture: Sarah Reed

Sam Jacobs goes down the race after injuring his back. Picture: Sarah Reed

Jacobs believes there is no structural damage and that he just suffered “back spasms’’ when landing from an aerial contest.

He sustained a similar injury in last year’s pre-season competition.

“I'm not the best below my knees at any time but I can't bend over to touch my toes at the moment,’’ he said.

“But I’d expect it to settle down in the next couple of days and don’t think I’ll need scans or anything.

“I did the same thing last year and it came good pretty quickly, so fitness-wise I should be right to go on Friday.’’

Jacobs said the injury limited his impact against the Power, where his counterpart Paddy Ryder gained an advantage in the ruck.

“It was good to be able to get through the game but I was pretty limited and unable to have the output I would have liked,’’ he said.

Adelaide will also monitor captain Taylor Walker’s fitness this week after he spent time on the bench with what the club says is a glute problem.

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Originally published as Adelaide ruckman Sam Jacobs will put the birth of his first child ahead of Friday’s match against the Western Bulldogs