PORT Adelaide is hopeful vice-captain Travis Boak will return in Balfours Showdown XXXIII.
Cross-town rivals Adelaide will need to find a replacement for the suspended Taylor Walker.
PortAdelaideFC.com.au takes a look at the possible inclusions for both sides.
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Port Adelaide
Travis Boak trained strongly at Alberton on Monday and will be put through his paces again on Thursday.
Strength and conditioning coach Ben Serpell was confident Boak would line-up in Showdown XXXIII.
“If he pulls up ok on Thursday, he’ll be right to play,” Serpell said.
Boak may lead the Power if skipper Dom Cassisi - who is rated a 50/50 chance - doesn’t prove his fitness.
Cassisi has had an ongoing hip complaint and hasn’t run for several weeks, raising questions over the likelihood of him playing.
Jacob Surjan is another who seems almost certain to return after being a late withdrawal against the Cats in Round 14.
If all three are to return, the selectors may have a hard time deciding who to omit.
Upgraded rookie Tom Jonas impressed in his role on Steve Johnson while David Rodan was solid in his return game in Power colours.
The pressure may be on Brett Ebert who was subbed out with just four touches against the Cats.
With the Power’s extensive injury list, just seven Power listed players were in action in the SANFL over the weekend.
[ Related: Injury update ]
Of those seven, just Simon Phillips and Jarrad Redden are outside chances of returning, with defenders Jasper Pittard and Nick Salter still working their way back from injury.
Redden’s path back to the Power’s 22 has been made slightly more difficult by the impressive display of Matt Lobbe, who played his first game of the year on Sunday.
Lobbe didn’t have a high possession count but impressed all over the ground with 32 hitouts, 9 tackles and 2.0.
Perhaps more likely to be selected depending on conditions and match-ups are defender Nathan Blee and forward/ruck Daniel Stewart.
Both were emergencies against the Cats and Stewart especially could be called upon to stretch the Crows down back.
Adelaide
The Crows will have at least one change with leading goalkicker Taylor Walker suspended for three matches by the match review panel for a sling tackle on Richmond’s Steven Morris.
Shaun McKernan staked his claim for Walker’s spot with a five-goal haul for South Adelaide in the SANFL.
The 21-year-old will face strong competition from basketball convert Josh Jenkins, who kicked one goal and had 19 hitouts for Sturt, and ex-Saint Tom Lynch, who the media have stated is the favourite to replace Walker.
If skipper Nathan Van Berlo proves his fitness ahead of the game, don’t expect too many changes at the selection table coming off the back of a win and with the Crows very short injury list.
Full injury lists
Port Adelaide
Mitch Banner, knee - 1-2 weeks
Travis Boak, foot - test
Dom Cassisi, hip - test
Robbie Gray, knee - season
Hamish Hartlett, hamstring - 3 weeks
Cam Hitchcock, hamstring - 3 weeks
Steven Salopek, knee - 1 week
Jay Schulz, abdomen - 4-6 weeks
Jacob Surjan, hip - test
Jackson Trengove, finger - 1-2 weeks
Adelaide
Nathan Van Berlo, head - test
Jarryd Lyons, foot - test
Dylan Orval, knee - 5-6 weeks
Will Young, shoulder - TBC
