Adelaide only want fit players on park

ADELAIDE coach Don Pyke has implored his players to remove themselves from the selection debate if they are not feeling right to play as the preparations intensify for the grand final.

His call came as X-factor forward Mitch McGovern was ruled out after failing to recover from a hamstring injury.

McGovern had been given a last chance to prove his fitness at the Crows’ open training session at Adelaide Oval yesterday.

“He hasn’t come up,” Crows coach Don Pyke said.

About 10,000 fans were at Adelaide Oval for the Crows’ session – the club’s last public appearance on home soil ahead of the big dance.

Most eyes were focused on McGovern, who missed Adelaide’s preliminary final win with the strain.

He showed no obvious discomfort during the initial phase of the 90-minute training session but didn’t take part in end-to-end drills.

The 22-year-old rejoined his teammates for goalkicking practice at the tail end of the session. Adelaide CEO Andrew Fagan said it was a devastating blow for McGovern.

“Mitch needed to get through today’s session and as Pykey said, he didn’t quite pull up,” Fagan said.

“It’s a sad story for Gov (McGovern). But one man down, another man up.”

Pyke said there were two or three other players who were in doubt because of injury. In the end, the players would be trusted to make the right call.

“I’m really mindful of making sure we take a fit side into big games,” Pyke said.

“I think that’s one thing history sort of tells you: if you play guys who are under injury clouds generally it’s hard for them to feel better during the game.

“They generally get sorer. “We’ll monitor all of our players and make sure they feel good. But they really have an obligation, not just to themselves but to the team, to if they’re not right they put their hand up.”

Pyke singled out the Tigers’ pressure – and particularly that of its potent small forward line – as a major hurdle in the chase for a premiership on Saturday.

The unit with five smalls and one tall is the best in the game when it comes to forcing turnovers in attack and has been central to its first two finals wins.

“I think their pressure is their No.1 component,” Pyke admitted.

“They really base their game around their pressure around the ball.

“So we can certainly expect a high pressure game.”

THEY REALLY HAVE AN OBLIGATION, NOT JUST TO THEMSELVES BUT TO THE TEAM, TO IF THEY’RE NOT RIGHT THEY PUT THEIR HAND UP ... ADELAIDE COACH DON PYKE