Adelaide returns to its home deck this Saturday night to take on Richmond, as it hopes to maintain its spot in the top four.

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

Managing the ruck load

Nicks admitted the Crows could have a different looking ruck brigade this weekend, as the coaching group determines the best way to manage first-year big man Lachlan McAndrew. 

McAndrew has played all 20 of Adelaide’s matches this season, but with 2020 Club Champion Reilly O’Brien waiting in the wings, along with a battle against physical Tigers Captain Toby Nankervis on the horizon, the possibility of the 26-year-old being managed is being considered. 

“I think we're in a position where we've got two very capable ruckmen, one who's been a warrior for us throughout this year,” Nicks said. 

“It may be that he does need the opportunity to get his body right, and ROB might get a shot at it, but we're not going to know that until at least later on today, if not in the next 48 hours.

“I think there's always an opposition that you factor in, and you look at the opposition ruckman and Nankervis being a warrior himself, there's not many better than him when it comes to you know the ability to battle and wrestle and and fight.

“He makes it really tough for an opposition ruck, so what goes well against that, you know? And some would argue ROB’s the perfect match up for it,  maybe there's an advantage in the way that McAndrew's been going throughout this year with his reach, it'll be a decision that we'll make, depending on how these guys are tracking.”

A number of players out to prove their fitness

Adelaide has a number of players hoping to prove their fitness for this weekend’s game, with Sam Berry (foot), James Peatling (hip/groin), James Borlase (hamstring), Nick Murray (knee) and Luke Nankervis (chest), all listed as tests on the injury report. 

Nicks said it was not uncommon to have sore players at this point in the season, and gave a brief insight into how the Club would manage the situation. 

“Unfortunately, we do have a lot of tests, and that it's often this time of the year,” Nicks said. 

“We didn't have Berry and Peatling available last weekend, probably looking at that, we're going to have to see how they go today. 

“The reality is that probably I think JP is going to be fine. He looks like he's in pretty good order. Bez still has a bit of soreness there, so we'll just work our way through that.

“I think like most clubs at this time of the year, we’ve got some banged up boys. We're on two six-day breaks in a row now. So like we've done all year, we'll pick the side we think is going to get the job done, the best side we possibly can to win the game of footy. 

“We'll also be mindful of not putting guys in and putting them in a position where they can't perform because of their body soreness or or injury.”

Update on James Borlase

Defender James Borlase will be pushing to prove his fitness for Saturday night’s clash after missing the second half of last week’s game against Essendon with hamstring tightness. 

As revealed on Tuesday, scans showed no injury for the 24-year-old, and if he was able to get through training this week would play this weekend. 

“If Boz is good to go, he'll continue to play, he had some tightness in the hamstring, and the decision was made at half time that the risk wasn't worth it,” Nicks said. 

“We had a feeling that our group was going to be able to stand up, we know Max can play tall and small, so we probably in a way took a risk ourselves in not playing in the second half.

“We did struggle a little in the air behind the ball, but we did enough in the rest of the game to get the job.” 

“Midfield Dan” impresses in new role

Utility Dan Curtin was unleashed as a full-time on-baller against the Bombers last week in the absence of Peatling and Berry, and showed promise in his performance. 

The 21-year-old had 22 centre square attendances, and gathered 18 disposals, six score involvements, five clearances and five marks in an impactful display. 

“There's still work-ons, but it was nice to let him loose, and let him sort of throw his body around,” Nicks said.

“At times he got it right, he looked to have some real key moments in the game and I thought he finished the game off really well, which is a great sign. 

“The fact that he could play midfield right throughout the match, he finished with five or six in the last quarter that were very telling possessions, and he's still got so much upside in his game. We haven't really scratched the surface there yet.

“I think we see Dan as a midfielder moving forward, we feel like he's got the football intelligence, the execution and the awareness that you need to be a midfielder. 

“He's unique in that he's such a big body, so he's a tough matchup, he's still a very young player that's still learning a fair bit about the game. But it's exciting for us.”

Backline selection squeeze

Nicks admitted a selection squeeze was on the horizon in regards to Adelaide’s back six, with a number of players having a strong impact at AFL level. 

Oscar Ryan impressed across half back in his debut last week, while the likes of Hugo Hall-Kahan and Luke Nankervis have gone from strength-to-strength across the second half of the season. 

The Crows also have experienced duo Wayne Milera and Rory Laird currently out of the side with injury, meaning there will likely be some unfortunate players when all running defenders are available.

“It'd be great to have every one of those guys available and have to make that decision,” Nicks said. 

“We’ve probably got a week or so with Junior when it comes to (him returning), and Lair is going to train today, and hopefully everything goes well there. 

“It'll be a big challenge, but it's amazing what enthusiasm can do and belief, looking at Oscar, the way he played on the weekend, it's his first game, he's going to take a lot out of that.

“So, it's a great position to be in to have these guys all pushing for selection.”

Forward duo finding form

All-Australian full forward Riley Thilthorpe enjoyed his best return of the season against the Bombers last week, while recruit Callum Ah Chee came back into the side with great impact, as the Crows continued to build towards their best football. 

Nicks said the form of Thilthorpe and Ah Chee was a great indicator of the positive space his team was in as the finals approached. 

“Riley's one example where you know it's well documented, there's been a lot of pressure on Riley, and off the back of an all-Australian year, that people are wondering what's going on. 

“He's done a hell of a lot of work and I thought the weekend was probably one of his best performances, and was the difference in the game - both coaching groups felt that. 

“So that's just one example of a sign of where we're heading as a group, even Cal Ah Chee, if you talk about some of the key moments in the game, just the fact that Cal's out there and he's the one giving Riley the opportunities in the air. 

“I think he might hit him four or five times inside 50, so our group's in a good space.

“If you talk about the energy and you talk about the feel around the place from inside the four balls, we're yeah we're optimistic about what we can do.”

An update on Nankervis

Luke Nankervis will be a test for Saturday night’s clash against the Tigers, after reporting chest soreness early in the week. 

Nicks said the 23-year-old would train on Wednesday night, where the coaches and high performance team would make a decision on his availability.

“Nank will be a test today, he's you know just sawing us through the SC joint, and one that we hope he's going to be able to play through. 

“He'll test that a little bit today, he probably won't be in some of our harder drills, but we'll get a field post the session on where he sits.”

Adelaide faces Richmond at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night, with the match to begin at 7.05pm (ACST). 

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