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Patrick Dangerfield will make his AFL debut for Adelaide against Essendon at Telstra Dome on Saturday.
Midfielder Brent Reilly is the other addition to the Crows team, which is chasing a 12th win to secure a finals berth. They replace injured midfielder Bernie Vince (hamstring) and first-year player Andy Otten. Reilly made a successful return from a knee injury with Sturt in the SANFL last weekend after a month on the sidelines.
Otten, Jared Petrenko and Kurt Tippett are the emergencies.
Dangerfield, 18 and 190cm, was Adelaide’s first pick in the 2007 AFL national draft but stayed at home in Victoria this year to complete Year 12. He has been playing strongly in a variety of different roles for the Geelong Falcons in the TAC Cup under 18 competition and earlier this season played some SANFL league football with West Adelaide.
Click here to watch video highlights from last week’s TAC Cup
Coach Neil Craig said the club had been keen to provide Dangerfield with an AFL opportunity at some stage this season.
“Patrick has made school a priority this season and we understand that,” he said. “But we think the timing is right to give him a look at the AFL – and to give us a look at him.
“It’s really exciting for Patrick and the playing group and I’m sure our supporters will also feel the same way.”
Dangerfield will be the 162nd player to play for the Adelaide Football Club since it was formed before the 1991 season. He will also be the eighth player to represent the club for the first time in 2008, following Kurt Tippett, David Mackay, Brad Symes, Jarrhan Jacky, James Sellar, Otten and Brad Moran.
Adelaide trains at Max Basheer Reserve from 10am on Friday before travelling to Melbourne.
The team is:
B: Johncock, Rutten, Bassett
HB: van Berlo, Bock, Doughty
C: Symes, Goodwin, Mackay
HF: Dangerfield, Stevens, McLeod
F: Douglas, Gill, Moran
R: Maric, Thompson, Edwards
Int: Massie, Shirley, Campbell, Reilly
Emerg: Tippett, Otten, Petrenko
In: Reilly, Dangerfield
Out: Vince (hamstring), Otten
http://www.afc.com.au/tabid/4417/Default.aspx?newsid=65517













