Devastated Adelaide defender Brodie Smith is bracing for scans to reveal his shot at this year’s AFL premiership is over.
Smith suffered a suspected torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the Crows’ 36-point qualifying final victory against Greater Western Sydney on Thursday night.
“He is clearly pretty shattered and we’re shattered for him,” Adelaide coach Don Pyke said after his side’s 12.12 (84) to 6.12 (48) win.
“He has put a lot of energy and heart and soul into the season and it looks like it’s going to over.”
Pyke is certain vice-captain Rory Sloane will return from appendix surgery for their home preliminary final in a fortnight.
But he is less certain on just how the Crows will approach their prolonged break; they will enter the preliminary final having played one game in 24 days.
“We have got a few ideas, we will bounce them around in the next 24 hours,” Pyke said.
“We have just got to find a balance between training on and probably letting the players almost freshen for a little bit.
“If we keep training, we can end up getting stale because they will be looking forward to the next game.”
Pyke said a likely break from training was balanced by the need to “train with the right intensity and the right method to ensure that in two weeks’ time, we’re cherry ripe and ready to go”.
“We don’t make the draw,” he said.
“The draw says that you win the first week, you’re going to get a preliminary final at home, which we will take every day of the week.”