The side, fresh off a bye, will be bolstered with the return of three important defenders in Nick Maxwell, Alan Toovey and Clinton Young, who add 448 games of combined experience with them.
Maxwell, who returns after missing Collingwood’s 34-point win over Carlton with a minor back complaint, has proved his critics wrong so far in season 2014, displaying career-best form.
Preview Thursday night's encounter with collingwoodfc.com.au's Ultimate Preview.
The former skipper is ranked among the top five players in the side for average spoils, blocks, intercept marks and kicking efficiency. He is also seventh for average marks and disposal efficiency.
Toovey, like Maxwell, was an eleventh-hour omission against Carlton owing to hamstring soreness.
The reliable backman will help shore up the Collingwood back six, with the anticipated return of Taylor Walker to the Adelaide forward line likely to give the Magpies’ coaching panel something to think about.
Young will be another crucial addition to the team. The hard-running left footer has carried the ball 3278 metres in six games this year – further than any other player on the Collingwood list.
On average, Young carries the ball 31.2 metres with each possession. Travis Cloke is ranked second (25.3 metres).
The omission of mosquito fleet Ben Kennedy, Taylor Adams and Josh Thomas only serves to further highlight the fierce competition for spots in a side that enters round nine with five wins from its last six outings.
Thomas has been named as an emergency, along with Nathan Brown and Alex Fasolo, who is now fit for selection after overcoming the toe injury that saw him subbed out of Collingwood’s win over Essendon on ANZAC Day.
Brown has spent the three games in Collingwood’s VFL side, where he is averaging 11.3 disposals and 4.3 marks per match. He last played at senior level in round two when he dislocated his shoulder.
The match will be Collingwood’s first at the new-look Adelaide Oval. The venue now has a seating capacity of 53,00 and has replaced AAMI Stadium (Football Park) as the state’s premier football ground.
Adelaide v Collingwood
Round Nine
Thursday 15 May
Adelaide Oval, 7.20pm
Collingwood
B: Nick Maxwell, Jack Frost, Marley Williams
HB: Alan Toovey, Lachlan Keeffe, Tom Langdon
C: Heritier Lumumba, Brent Macaffer, Dane Swan
HF: Sam Dwyer, Jesse White, Steele Sidebottom
F: Jamie Elliott, Travis Cloke, Tyson Goldsack
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Dayne Beams, Scott Pendlebury
Int: Jarryd Blair, Luke Ball, Clinton Young, Jarrod Witts
Emg: Alex Fasolo, Nathan Brown, Josh Thomas
IN: Nick Maxwell, Alan Toovey, Clinton Young
OUT: Taylor Adams, Ben Kennedy, Josh Thomas (omitted)
Adelaide
B: Kyle Hartigan, Ben Rutten, Luke Brown
HB: Brodie Smith, Daniel Talia, Matthew Jaensch
C: Rory Sloane, Scott Thompson, David Mackay
HF: Matt Crouch, Josh Jenkins, Matthew Wright
F: James Podsiadly, Taylor Walker, Eddie Betts
Foll: Sam Jacobs, Patrick Dangerfield, Richard Douglas
Int: Rory Laird, Charlie Cameron, Sam Kerridge, Brodie Martin
Emg: Mitch Grigg, Sam Shaw, Jared Petrenko
IN: Charlie Cameron, Richard Douglas, Brodie Martin, Ben Rutten, Taylor Walker
OUT: Tom Lynch (broken jaw), Mitch Grigg, Jared Petrenko, Brent Reilly, Sam Shaw (omitted)
NEW: Charlie Cameron (19, Swan Districts)
