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Crows clear injured Dawson for AFL game

3 minute read

Adelaide expect Jordan Dawson to play against Geelong this weekend despite bursting an eardrum in his AFL club's latest loss.

BRODIE SMITH.
BRODIE SMITH. Picture: Albert Perez/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Adelaide utility Jordan Dawson has a burst eardrum but is in no danger of missing his AFL club's trip to Geelong this weekend.

Dawson was injured in Adelaide's loss to St Kilda, along with rookie Josh Rachele who suffered a corked thigh.

While Rachele is in doubt for Saturday's away game against the Cats, the Crows say Dawson will play.

"He will be fine," Adelaide halfback Brodie Smith told reporters on Tuesday.

"He copped that whack ... and is just a bit sore and blocked up."

Rachele, who has played every game in his debut season, will be on restricted training duties this week as the 15th-placed Crows seek to rebound after four consecutive losses.

The last in the string of defeats was against St Kilda on Saturday night when the Crows blew their chances with wayward kicking at goal, scoring 9.15 to the Saints' 14.6.

"We look at it as an opportunity missed," Smith said of that result.

"Maybe two years ago we would have walked off and gone 'yep, pretty good effort boys' but we're really disappointed, we know we should be winning those games.

"The growth is there and on the weekend we challenged a side in the contest and in our defence and unfortunately let ourselves down with our execution.

"We are showing that we can beat the best sides, we have just got to put it together for four quarters which is a bit about inexperience and consistency but we know that will come."

The Crows haven't won in Geelong since their last premiership year in 1998.

"It doesn't get much tougher than Geelong in Geelong," Smith said.

"They're a good side, as long as I have been in the league they have played finals."

But Smith said Adelaide would approach the trip with the same mentality as their April 23 fixture against the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat when they pinched an upset one-point victory.

"There's no doubt it (Geelong) is a tough road trip but we look at the Ballarat trip against the Bulldogs," he said.

"We knew we were up against it there and it was going to be really tough and we just put ourselves in the fight and got it done so hopefully we do that this week."

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