Crows AFLW head coach Matthew Clarke confirms Sarah Perkins will return to face Carlton, while Danielle Ponter will debut

The Crows have spent the week honing their skill in front of goal and fan-favourite Sarah Perkins will be wanting to kick loads as she returns to the side after a back injury.

• Which AFL club does the best deal for members?
• Season over for Cats’ brightest star
• Goalkicking blues behind us, claims Crows midfielder
• AFLW Round 2 teams

Big-kicking Sarah Perkins is back in Adelaide’s AFLW side after getting enough training under her belt following a back injury and she’ll have one aim on Sunday: to kick goals.

As the Crows prepare to play Carlton, coach Matthew Clarke said Perkins was a welcome return to the side and confirmed she would play forward.

Sarah Perkins training with the Adelaide at West Lakes. Picture: Sarah Reed

“She’s been able to train consistently … so it’s great that she’s physically able to go,” he said.

“Last week we probably lacked one extra target, so hopefully she’ll remedy that situation.”

In last week’s opening round loss to the Western Bulldogs, the Crows also lacked accuracy up forward, kicking 11 points to their one goal and Clarke conceded the side had spent plenty of time in their two main training sessions this week honing their skills in front of goal.

“We did a little bit on both main sessions, and it was part of the pre-season, but if we went out and tried to kick 1.11 we probably wouldn’t be able to, it was just one of those nights,” he said.

Clarke has brought in a number of changes for the team to take on the Blues at Ikon Park.

Perkins comes in to replace Jenna McCormick who has headed back to soccer and will play with the Brisbane Roar in their W-League finals campaign.

Danielle Ponter in action in January playing a trial game against Fremantle in front of her Darwin home crowd. Picture: JUSTINE KENNEDY

New recruit Sophie Li has been omitted and won’t be taking to the field against her former side.

“Sophie will be our emergency which is challenging, because she’s not done much wrong, but ultimately it came down to my decision that we needed one extra tall, so she got squeezed out,” he said.

“But she’ll travel with the team, she’s ultra professional and when I called her, she said: ‘Well, whatever’s best for the team’ which shows enormous character.”

Instead, the NT-based youngster, Danielle Ponter — the niece of Essendon legend Michael Long and cousin of Hawthorn’s Cyril Rioli — will make her AFLW debut.

“We’re really excited about what she brings,” Clarke said.

“She’s got enormous talent and she’s working really hard.”

Clarke said Ponter would spend most time in the back half.

Like the Crows, Carlton is coming into round two off a loss after being defeated by North Melbourne by 36 points. But Clarke expected them to respond and come back really well.

“Carlton have some enormous talent,” he said.

“Whether they play (captain Brianna) Davey forward or back will be interesting to see, I wouldn’t be surprised if she ended up in the back half just to balance them out a little bit, but they have talent across the deck and they play really free-flowing attacking brand so we expect that to come up against that.”

Carlton v Adelaide, Sunday, February 10, Ikon Park, 3.35pm.

Originally published as Crows AFLW head coach Matthew Clarke confirms Sarah Perkins will return to face Carlton, while Danielle Ponter will debut