Adelaide Assistant Coach Nathan van Berlo says the Crows’ could hand big man Riley Thilthorpe another opportunity in the midfield during their AAMI Community Series clash against Fremantle.
The Crows’ match against the Dockers in Mandurah on Saturday will be one final chance for players to test themselves against an opposition before their Round One match in a fortnight’s time.
It will also allow the coaching cohort to continue fine tuning potential positional switches and the game plan before the start of the 2026 season.
Speaking on Friday at Adelaide’s Captain’s Run training session van Berlo said the Crows were looking forward to their final pre-season hit-out.
He also hinted that Thilthorpe might find himself in the middle against Fremantle after the forward’s strong showing with the on-ball brigade late in the trial match against Port Adelaide.
“I love seeing Riley (Thilthorpe) around the ball. He gives us a different look, he’s very hard to play against, to body up against, he’s just so clean and agile for a guy his size,” van Berlo said.
“Anticipating we’ll get a look at different stages, he loves it, and we enjoy having him around the ball.”
“It’s our final hit-out before Round One, and it’s really for us about solidifying our game plan and system and getting some continuity amongst our group, that we’ve had all summer.”
Van Berlo, who manages the Crows’ midfield, also expects livewire Josh Rachele to feature heavily on-ball against the Dockers.
Rachele has spent time training with the team’s midfield group this pre-season, and the switch from the forward line is set to be a likely role for the fifth-year Crow.
The assistant coach said Rachele had shown plenty of positive signs while honing his craft as a midfielder this summer.
“Josh Rachele is another one who has spent a lot of time around the ball this off-season,” van Berlo said.
“It’s no surprise that he’s been able to take his game to another level for us.
“His smarts around the footy, his clean take, and his ability to pick the right times of when to go forward and when to impact around the contest is one of those things you can’t teach players but he’s just got that gift.
“Hopefully we can see him again around the ball for a fair chunk and see where that takes us.
Adelaide named an extended 26-man squad for its game against Fremantle at Rushton Park, with Charlie Edwards and Toby Murray set for another chance to showcase their skills after promising performances against the Power last week.
Van Berlo said Saturday’s game would also be a good gauge of the Club’s depth, with midfielder Sam Berry (managed), James Peatling (low-grade hamstring strain) and Jake Soligo (heart) all on the sidelines.
“A couple of guys that come to mind obviously through the midfield - we’ll have Charlie Edwards and Billy Dowling who have put in a lot of work over the summer with their midfield work,” van Berlo said.
“I am really looking forward to seeing them apply their craft and seeing their improvement over the past 12-18 months.“We’ve got Lachie McAndrew, who we saw last week, in the ruck and I am really looking forward to seeing him take another step forward against a quality opposition.
“Guys like Luke Nankervis and Brayden Cook who have been given another opportunity to have a run - they’ve had super summers - so it’s going to be really exciting to see them get their opportunity and show their improvement.”
Adelaide’ faces Fremantle in Mandurah on Saturday evening, with the first bounce at 5.40pm (ACDT).
Fans can watch the game live on Fox Footy and Kayo.
The Crows will then open their season with a blockbuster Round One game against Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday, March 14.
