PAFC Set to Soar
On Tuesday, Adelaide coach Neil Craig described versatile Scott Stevens and Andy Otten as perfect candidates for the new sub role.
Veteran Chad Cornes and forward/defender Michael Pettigrew provide similar flexibility for the Power, but Primus said he expected teams to experiment with different types of subs throughout the season.
"I've got no idea what an ideal substitute player is yet. I don't think anyone has," Primus said on Wednesday.
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"We'll have to see how the year pans out or even how the next five or six weeks pan out to see which way you need to go. It'll depend on your availability and how many midfielders, how many forwards and how many backs you have.
"We're probably going along the lines of wanting somebody that can make an impact with the use of their legs when they come on, but whether that will be the way we use it all year I'm not sure."
Forward Brett Ebert and defender Jacob Surjan have been ruled out of the game against Collingwood on Saturday.
Surjan had a limited pre-season because of a nagging knee complaint and will continue his comeback in the SANFL.
Ebert made his return from a knee reconstruction in the opening round of the NAB Cup, but missed the last three games with tonsillitis and will also play for Port Magpies this weekend.
Primus said the changes to the interchange rules had made it impossible for the club to consider selecting either player to take on Collingwood.
"That's the way it's going to be from now on with one less player on the bench," Primus said.
"Brett had half a game or three-quarters of a game in the SANFL last week … but we've got to make sure that when we do pick these guys that they're able to play 80 or 90 per cent of the game."
Rookie-listed midfielder Jarrad Irons could be elevated to the senior list as early as Wednesday afternoon, enabling him to make his AFL debut on Saturday.
Untried defenders Jasper Pittard and Cam O'Shea are also in the mix.
Primus said he expected robust discussion at the selection table on Wednesday.
"We've only got three or four guys who aren't available to play in round one, so we've got a big squad to choose from," he said.
"They [O'Shea, Pittard and Irons] have handled themselves well over the pre-season and we've also got some senior guys coming back into some form.
"They're in the mix and I'm looking forward to the discussion about them."
Cam O'Shea is a $92,500 defender in the Toyota AFL Dream Team competition
