Midfielder, defender sidelined in double blow for Crows
An injury will see Crows midfielder Matt Crouch miss a chunk of the AFL season, with the club also without Mitch Hinge for round eight after the tribunal upheld a one-game ban.
Adelaide Crows influential midfielder Matt Crouch faces at least a month on the AFL sidelines as he nurses a lingering hip injury.
Crouch, who underwent hip surgery in 2020, will rest his current complaint for what coach Matthew Nicks says could be up to six weeks.
“It’s one of those things that Matt has worked his way through for the latter part of his career,” Nicks told reporters on Wednesday.
“And it’s one that he grinds at times – and we’re in that at the moment.
“At the moment, he doesn’t feel like he’s able to get his game to the level that we saw in round one or two where he was instrumental in what we’re doing.
“What’s needed for him is some time off… he’ll come back later in the year – maybe a month, four, five, six weeks.”
But Nicks said attacking aces Riley Thilthorpe and Darcy Fogarty were strong chances to emerge from injury clouds and play against Carlton on Saturday.
Thilthorpe is troubled by a dislocated finger, while Fogarty missed the Crows’ 18-point away loss to Fremantle last weekend because of a shoulder complaint.
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“Darcy is moving really well, which is a great sign for us,” Nicks said.
“We’ll be confident that he’s going to be OK.
“And Riley, we’re pretty confident with as well.
“He won’t train today, it’s obviously a fair bit that’s going on with his finger.
“But in a way we’re pleased with the result, considering what it could have been.”
Nicks will again have to revamp his key defensive posts with first-choice fullback Nick Murray out for at least a month and Mitch Hinge suspended for one match.
Murray had arthroscopy surgery on a knee injury – he had returned for two games after a three-week stint on the sidelines.
Nicks’ options to replace Murray appear to point to Jordon Butts, yet to feature at AFL level this season.
James Borlase, who was summoned in Murray’s absence earlier this season, didn’t play at any level last weekend because of an ankle injury.
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Adelaide, with only one win from their past four games, are fifth and have slipped into a half-dozen clump of clubs with a four-three win-loss record.
And Carlton (three-four) arrive with three victories on the trot – after beating up on lowly West Coast and North Melbourne, the Blues downed perennial powers Geelong by 18 points last-start.
Blue fine to face Crows, no Hinge benefit for Adelaide
Carlton’s Adam Cerra has had a striking suspension downgraded to a fine, but Adelaide will be without Mitch Hinge after the AFL Tribunal upheld a one-game ban.
Carlton midfielder Adam Cerra is free to face Adelaide after successfully downgrading his one-match striking suspension to a fine at the AFL Tribunal.
But the Crows will be without Mitch Hinge, whose one-game ban was upheld.
Cerra was suspended for striking Geelong’s Jack Bowes in the third quarter of the Blues’ win on Sunday.
The incident was graded intentional conduct, low impact and high contact, drawing a one-game ban.
Carlton first argued Cerra’s action was not a strike – then, if it was a strike, they said it should be classified as careless rather than intentional.
The Blues were successful and it was downgraded to a fine, meaning Cerra can face the Crows at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
Adelaide defender Hinge also fronted the tribunal on Wednesday, challenging his one-game ban for striking Fremantle’s Andrew Brayshaw.
The MRO graded the incident in the second quarter of Friday night’s match at Optus Stadium as intentional, low impact and high contact, leading to the suspension.
Hinge had argued he did not intend to strike Brayshaw, with the Crows hoping to have the incident downgraded to careless rather than intentional.
But the tribunal disagreed and he will miss a match.
North Melbourne confirmed they would not be appealing Paul Curtis’s three-match ban for a dangerous tackle, which was upheld by the tribunal on Tuesday.
