Adelaide senior coach Matthew Nicks has confirmed veteran Crow Taylor Walker will play his first SANFL game in more than a decade this Saturday.
Nicks has opted to bring back Riley Thilthorpe (back soreness), and keep Darcy Fogarty and 22-year-old Toby Murray in the side over the 36-year-old Walker, with the Crows having won the last three consecutive games.
Walker's selection to the SANFL has come to help ease the management of his hamstring injury that has sidelined him for the last two weeks.
"He'll play SANFL, Tex,” Nicks said.
“With where the group is performing and (Tex) coming back from a number of weeks out, we didn't select him this week in the 23, and then we had a discussion on whether he plays or not.
“Tex playing SANFL is about him getting a game of footy in, otherwise it would stretch out to him being out for five or six weeks. We can train match simulation, but it's not the same.
“I think he (Tex) has a really good understanding of how important he is to us, and how important he will be for us in the second half of the year.”
Walker last played in the SANFL in 2014 when returning from a knee injury and subsequent reconstruction that ruled him out for the majority of the 2013 season.
Thilthorpe and Callum Ah Chee (hamstring) will face the Hawks after overcoming their injuries.
Thilthorpe missed his first game of the season last week while managing back soreness, while Ah Chee has already returned to competitive football after playing through the reserves a fortnight ago.
“As it sits at the moment, everything going well, yeah (they will play),” Nicks said.
“Riley has pulled up fresh and we are confident he will be in a really good space.
“Cal is an important piece (to our team), we brought him across for a reason, the experience he brings on the big stages, and against quality oppositions.”
The Crows are coming off a 68-point win over North Melbourne and will hope to extend their win streak in Launceston against the 6-3 Hawks on Friday at 7.30 pm.
Walker and the Adelaide SANFL team will take on Glenelg at Glenelg Oval on Saturday at 2.10 pm.
