Otten primed to stand 'Buddy'

ANDY Otten will be ushered through Adelaide's revolving defensive door for Saturday's preliminary final against Hawthorn at the MCG.

Andy Otten and Sam Kerridge

ANDY Otten will be ushered through Adelaide's revolving defensive door for Saturday's preliminary final against Hawthorn at the MCG.

With Sam Shaw yesterday ruled out for the season with a hamstring strain, Otten is now the most suitable like-for-like replacement despite playing just five AFL matches this year.

As Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson yesterday conceded the injured Daniel Talia (broken arm) was the ideal match-up for Hawks star Lance Franklin, Otten and Luke Thompson were in the mix to stand "Buddy."

"It's another challenge for us, we will have to restructure the group again," said Sanderson, naming Ben Rutten the front-runner to curtail Franklin.

"Andy Otten was close to playing (against Fremantle) so he's one who springs to mind straight away.

"There's still plenty of guys in good form who played SANFL footy who can come in and play their roles. Luke Thompson came in after only playing one game for the year and he more than held his own.

"We've said all year we've got good depth and we've said all year that if we needed to call on players we could get an even contribution so that will have to be the challenge again this week."

Since injuring his knee against West Coast in round 17, Otten has played just two league matches with South Adelaide in the SANFL.

And the 23-year-old - who has played 46 AFL games - was yesterday left to simulate his match fitness at Max Basheer Reserve, with the Panthers sitting idle in the major round.

"He's been back a few weeks now and he's obviously a quality player," defender Rutten said of Otten.

"We'll have to look at how it is (at selection) during the week."

While Shaw's campaign is over, Crows goalsneak Jared Petrenko remains hopeful he can overcome a dislocated shoulder to confront the Hawks on Saturday.

"Sam did his hamstring and there's no such thing as a zero-week hamstring so he will be out for a few weeks which will spell the end of his season," Crows operations manager Phil Harper said.

"Jared's a bit better, his shoulder did dislocate but it popped straight back in.

"He was shattered after the game but after speaking to the doctors, there's some chance he will come up so we haven't written him off."

Should Petrenko, who was hurt in the dying stages of the Crows' 10-point win against Fremantle, not recover, Brodie Martin looms as his likely replacement.

Martin could potentially start as the Crows' substitute against Hawthorn as he boasts the flexibility to play in all three sectors of the ground.