Adelaide is in the midst of its preparations for a trip to The Gabba, where it will face reigning premier Brisbane in a pivotal Round Seven clash. 

Senior Coach Matthew Nicks fronted the media ahead of the match, and spoke on the following topics.

Soligo touch and go for Lions trip 

Midfielder Jake Soligo will put his ankle to the test at training on Thursday, as he attempts to prove his fitness for Sunday’s clash against the Lions. 

The 23-year-old missed last week’s win after rolling his ankle against Carlton in Gather Round, and was again listed as a test ahead of the trip to Brisbane. 

“We’re not sure yet (on Jake’s availability), we’ll give him today to have a bit of a look of where he’s at,” Nicks said. 

“He was moving reasonably well a couple of days ago, and it’s been a slightly longer week which is a bit of an advantage for him. But there won’t be a risk taken there, if he’s not 100 per cent or close to it. 

“There’s a little bit more than just his body when it comes to Jake’s selection this week, he’s gone through a number of challenges, and we’re trying to find the best way for him to re-gain that spark that’s seen him be a walk up starter in our best 22.” 

Dan Curtin’s SANFL return

Young utility Dan Curtin is in the frame to return from a pre-season knee injury in the Crows’ SANFL clash against North Adelaide on Saturday. 

Curtin has been cleared from the Club’s injury list, and provided he gets through the main session on Thursday, will line up against the Roosters on Anzac Day. 

“DC is looking strong and we’re struggling to hold him back now, he’s a beast and he wants to get in there and play and compete,” Nicks said. 

“He’s done everything we’ve asked (in his recovery) and it will be nice to see him back playing. 

“What we have seen in his recovery is he’s left absolutely nothing to chance, he’s just gone to work and Mark Keane has been in there with him, and the pair have shown such a passion for rehab. 

“We sit now and hope they come in and perform, and we hope that we get Dan, at the right time having not rushed it, back in the AFL team.” 

An update on Jordan Dawson 

Nicks confirmed Captain Jordan Dawson returned to the Club on Thursday to take part in its main training session. 

“Jordan’s here (at the Club) today, he’s back in Adelaide and will train with us today,” Nicks said. 

“He trained with Robe a couple of days, went out to the Robe Footy Club and had a bit of a run around, which was great for him to get amongst the guys he’s grown up with.

“He’s been getting out and staying active, but today will just be a check-in to see where he’s at physically and mentally and then a decision will be one we make together post the session. 

“I’m pretty sure he’s really keen to join the group again, but we’ll see.”

Intel on Brisbane

Adelaide will lean on the insight of former Lions premiership player Callum Ah Chee and Assistant Coach Murray Davis as it prepares for its trip to The Gabba. 

Nicks said that it was nice to have some greater knowledge on the Lions’ system, but admitted it would be tough to execute a plan against the competition’s reigning premier. 

“We’ve probably got a little more inside knowledge with both Cal Ah Chee and Murray Davis, who has been here for a while now,” Nicks said. 

“Cal coming in this year, he’s confirmed but what they (the Lions) do really well, they’ve been the best team in the competition for the last couple of years, maybe even longer than that. 

“So having those guys, it reaffirms what we’ve seen, it’s nice to have that detail but now it’s having the ability to go and execute it against a team that’s really hard to play against. 

“We know what we need to do, can we go and do it is the question.” 

Walker’s match-winning hand not a surprise 

Crows all-time leading goalkicker Taylor Walker showed his class once again last Saturday, booting five critical goals in the one-point win against the Saints. 

Nicks said seeing Walker produce match-winning performances in his 19th season was not a surprise, and spoke glowingly on how he responded after a slow first quarter. 

“It’s not surprising (to see Tex do what he did), if you asked me maybe four years ago I would have been a little surprised,” Nicks said.

“He turned the game around, after quarter-time he came out and flipped it on its head, and not many players can do that.

“He has a unique ability, talk about being a goldfish, he’s as good as I’ve seen at moving on from one moment and living the next one.

“He’s too good to hold down for a whole game, so I definitely wasn’t surprised by what he did against the Saints.”

The influence of Alex Neal-Bullen

Since arriving at the Club at the end of 2024, the leadership qualities of Alex Neal-Bullen have had a profound impact on the squad, according to the Senior Coach. 

Coming into the leadership group before playing a game for the Club, the 30-year-old’s ability to connect with all players has been a standout feature of his time as a Crow thus far.

“When we looked at Alex and first had a chat with him, we knew straight away we were getting one of the best leaders in the game,” Nicks said. 

“His off-field stuff is probably even stronger than on-field, a lot of people don’t see that but he’s an extremely intelligent young man, and he’s able to verbalise that at every level. 

“He can talk to everyone, he works with our first year players and works with Taylor Walker, around what we need to do to make each other better.

“So he’s been a huge addition for us, especially in that leadership space.” 

Darcy Fogarty back injury update 

Forward Darcy Fogarty continues to work his way through a back injury, which has kept him sidelined since Round Three.

Listed on this week’s injury report as two-to-three weeks away from a return, Nicks gave greater detail on where the 26-year-old was at with his progress.

“I think when it comes to backs, and anything around back soreness, it (the timeline) is never definite,” Nicks said. 

“As we get into more contest and full training, you find out a little more about where it’s at. 

“He moved reasonably well the other day, not 100 per cent by any means, and now we’re working with the amount of time he’s had out as well and what that looks like. 

“I wouldn’t lock in on an exact week, we’ve got to approximate on when that might be, and that’s where it sits at the moment.”