Adelaide has confirmed a 23-man team for its Round One crows game against Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday night, with three players set to make their AFL debuts and a potential ruck change on the cards.
Crows Game Team And Debutants
The Club announced a 23-man list that includes three first-game selections: Toby Murray, Callum Ah Chee and Lachlan McAndrew. It will be a notable moment for Murray, who will play his first senior game alongside his older brother Nick. Chayce Jones, James Borlase and Luke Nankervis have been named as emergencies.
Injury returns bolstered the selection. Isaac Cumming and James Peatling have recovered from low-grade hamstring injuries sustained during pre-season and have been named in the side. Jake Soligo has been included after a managed training program prompted by an irregular heartbeat. Forward Riley Thilthorpe will take the field after overcoming back soreness that kept him out of the club’s recent trial match.
Adelaide’s non-selected players will line up in the SANFL trial match against Central District at Elizabeth Oval on the same day.
Tactics, Daicos And The Ruck Decision
Coach Matthew Nicks is keeping specific plans close to the vest as he prepares to limit the influence of Collingwood star Nick Daicos. Nicks described Daicos’s attributes—speed and endurance—and said the club would hold its plans and could change them during the match. He noted the difficulty of locking down a player of Daicos’s profile and suggested the team might use a system approach, a dedicated tag, or both depending on how the game unfolds.
The ruck position is a selection point of interest. Lachlan McAndrew, a former Sydney ruck who played two games in 2023, is favoured to win a club debut ahead of Reilly O’Brien. Nicks explained that recent rule changes have challenged O’Brien’s traditional grappling style at centre bounces, and that O’Brien has been working to adapt to a more run-and-jump approach. At the same time, Nicks said McAndrew’s height and leap make him well placed from a centre-bounce perspective.
Club Mood And Preparations
Adelaide’s football leadership described preparations as solid and deliberate. Executive General Manager Football Adam Kelly said the squad had completed a strong pre-season and were keen to open the campaign, noting the players and staff had been methodical in preparing for the season and their opposition.
The selection choices set up an intriguing opening match: a side fielding multiple debutants and a potentially reshaped ruck contest facing a team that includes a red-hot on-ball talent. The Crows will now move into final preparations ahead of their trip to the MCG on Saturday night, with tactical decisions to be watched closely once play begins.
