AFL

Key Crows picked despite match-eve injury scares

Apr 2, 2026

Adelaide key forwards Riley Thilthorpe and Darcy Fogarty have been selected to face Fremantle despite failing to complete a match-eve training session.

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Fogarty received treatment on his back and a proppy Thilthorpe also left training early ahead of Friday night's clash against the Dockers.

But the attackers have been included in an Adelaide side featuring four changes from last round's away loss to Geelong.

Captain Jordan Dawson and veteran forward Taylor Walker have been summoned alongside ruckman Reilly O'Brien and defender James Borlase.

Dawson (calf) and Walker (managed) missed Adelaide's eight-point loss to Geelong last-start.

Borlase replaces fellow backman Jordon Butts (concussion) while Chayce Jones and Luke Nankervis have been axed.

Triple club champion Rory Laird, who was also sidelined last week by a calf complaint, has failed to recover.

The Crows (one win, two losses) meet the third-placed Dockers (two wins, one loss), who have named an unchanged team for the Adelaide Oval encounter.

Adelaide called up ruckman O'Brien for his first AFL game this season, replacing Finnbar Maley.

Changes to the ruck rules to outlaw grappling at centre bounces led Adelaide to initially overlook O'Brien.

But with Dockers Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson considered among the best ruck combinations in the league, O'Brien will share tap duties with Lachlan McAndrew.

"Both our big guys are in good form," Crows assistant Nathan van Berlo said.

"He (O'Brien) has always worked incredibly hard at his game and it's no surprise that he's got to work and improved himself.

"He's a leader of our club for a reason, because he puts the work in and we always know that Rob (O'Brien) is going to find a way to work his way back into being the best version of himself."