Porps feels Sanderson’s axe

Out-of-favour forward Jason Porplyzia has been dropped and will play for the Crows reserves on Sunday. Picture: Morne de Klerk. Source: Getty Images

JASON Porplyzia's challenge to retain his place in the Crows attack - against Adelaide's heavy investment in Carlton free agent Eddie Betts - has turned sour.

Porplyzia's form line in the opening two rounds of the AFL premiership season has not lived up to the promise of his encouraging pre-season when Adelaide seemed capable of mixing and matching Porplyzia and Betts.

MORE: SEE ALL THE TEAMS HERE

Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson last night cast aside Porplyzia, 29, for tomorrow's sold-out home-opener against Sydney at Adelaide Oval.

He made the predictable five changes in reaction to the 55-point loss to Port Adelaide in Showdown XXXVI at the new Oval.

Porplyzia falls as Sanderson recalls Jared Petrenko to work the small-forwards tandem with Betts.

Hard-edged defender Kyle Hartigan replaces Sam Shaw. Key forward-ruckman Josh Jenkins returns to cover the loss of Shaun McKernan (concussion).

First-year midfielder Matt Crouch gets his first AFL game while replacing his older brother Brad Crouch (broken left leg).

Inexperienced forward Lewis Johnston also was dropped as Sanderson seeks to plug the AFL's last-ranked defence by recalling impressive small defender Rory Laird.

SYDNEY has regained Lewis Roberts-Thomson after losing much-valued Swans, Craig Bird (calf) and Sam Reid (Achilles to injury).

Yet again, there is no Kurt Tippett (knee) to face his former Crows team-mates for the first time as a Swan.

Both the Crows and Swans are searching for their first win after disappointing starts in which Adelaide has lost to Geelong and the Power while Sydney has failed against Greater Western Sydney and Collingwood.

Sanderson returns to the new Oval on Saturday with his team still feeling its way on the long and narrow venue.

But he insists his players must play the "Crows way" - a theme so far best reflected in co-captain Rory Sloane's relentless work to win games.

Sanderson concedes his team did not handle the pressure of Showdown XXXVI - that applied by Port's players, the pro-Power crowd and perhaps the occasion of the Oval's re-opening for football.

"There was the pressure Port put on us - and the pressure we perceived," Sanderson said.

"We, unfortunately, created some of the most basic skill errors under no pressure. It is an area we have to work on - through training and by being exposed to match-day anxiety more often.

"The noise at Adelaide Oval is incredible. On the weekend, it was like a final if not a grand final.

"Doing a media interview on the boundary before the game I could not hear Gerard Healy ask me a question from two metres away.

"So imagine what the players felt."

PORT ADELAIDE on Friday night will confirm its line-up - an unchanged line-up - for its clash with North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Cam Hitchcock, Cam O'Shea and Aaron Young have been added to the 25-man squad.

NORTH MELBOURNE has former West Adelaide defender Joel Tippett in its 25-man squad that will be trimmed to the match 22 this evening.

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Danger will bounce back: Sando

Patrick Dangerfield under wraps from Brad Ebert in the Showdown at Adelaide Oval. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: News Corp Australia

Adelaide midfielder Richard Douglas has revealed how he recovered so quickly from a dangerous knock to the groin; the Crows midfielder says the team will be looking to recover from their slow start to the season when they come up against the Swans.

ADELAIDE coach Brenton Sanderson has dismissed concerns over star midfielder Patrick Dangerfield's lack of impact this season and is confident his pride in his performance will lead to another outstanding season.

Dangerfield has been below his best in matches against Geelong and Port Adelaide, having struggled with heavy minding and not being at his explosive best.

MORE: JACOBS READY TO LEAD FROM FRONT

But Sanderson, who installed Dangerfield and fellow midfielder Rory Sloane as stand-in captains for the injured Nathan van Berlo for the start of the season, is confident he will bounce back quickly.

After all the off-field point scoring in the lead-up to Saturdays historic first Showdown at Adelaide Oval it was always going to come down to football and right now Port Adelaide is simply a better side than the Crows.

"He'll be fine,'' Sanderson said after training at Adelaide Oval. "He puts a lot of pressure on himself already.

"I know there's been external pressure on him this week. (But) he's still going to have really fantastic season, I'm sure.

"He's such a proud footballer with so much ability. You won't be able to hold him down for too long.

"Hopefully this week (against Sydney) he comes out and can win us the game. That's the Cinderella story. But we just need Danger to play his role and I'm sure we're going to see a fantastic game from him and for the rest of the season.''

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Hart admits to concussion concerns

Shaun Hart in action for the Brisbane Lions in 2004, the final year of his career. Source: News Limited

BRISBANE premiership hero Shaun Hart has spoken out about his level of concern after suffering multiple headknocks in a decorated career and how it may affect his long-term health.

Hart and wife Linda have been taken aback after hearing the effects of concussions suffered by Carlton champion Greg Williams, who suffers from memory loss, and former NRL star Ian Roberts, who has spoken of brain damage resulting from being knocked out as many as a dozen times in his sport.

HART: POWER IS MORE THAN A FOOTBALL TEAM

Few players copped as many whacks as the courageous little Hart, the 2001 Norm Smith Medallist who now works as the coaching director at Port Adelaide.

One of the worst was when he crashed into teammate Daniel Bradshaw in the preliminary final of 2004, when he ran into Bradshaw's hip and thigh and suffered what doctors described as car-accident type injuries.

It was his last game for Brisbane: in hospital the doctor joked about his helmet holding his head together.

"It was an enormous injury and it ended my career,'' Hart recalled.

Shaun Hart in his new role as Port Adelaide director of coaching. Picture: Simon Cross.

"But I had a lot of little head knocks and my visual acuity decreased as a result. That's why I put it on (the helmet).''

Reports coming out of the US, where NFL players have spoken about how constant knocks to their heads have affected them, along with the fate of Williams and Roberts have concerned Hart.

He is a devout Christian who is strong in his faith, but Hart admits he has some fears over what the future might hold.

"We were watching that (the report about Roberts) the other night, my wife and I, and my wife is really concerned about it,'' Hart said.

"She thinks that it's an enormous issue and there's a chance that guys like myself don't know what the future holds, in terms of when it will onset.

"It is a worrying concern but I think the AFL is doing everything they can.

Coach Ken Hinkley reflects on Port Adelaide's derby win over Adelaide Crows.

"At the risk of criticism they're doing everything they can to make sure that players' health come first and foremost.

"I really like that about the game.''

But as much as the new standards are helping a new generation, Hart, who wore a helmet throughout his junior years, knows he may suffer the consequences from being knocked around later.

HART: KIDS SHOULD WEAR HELMETS PLAYING FOOTY

It is why he thinks football authorities should at least consider mandatory use of helmets for junior players.

"You know that you've had a lot of little headknocks, and then you have the big head knocks like the one with Daniel Bradshaw,'' Hart said.

"What does that do to your brain? I don't know. I don't know when that can affect you and if it will.

"But the reality is that it affects certain people and it could always affect yourself and other people you played with.

"When you see it on the news you go, 'Who are the other people who are experiencing something similar?' You don't know.''

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Why you’d want to play for Kenny

Ken Hinkley delivered an emotional pre-game speak to his players ahead of the historic clash against the Crows.

Port Adelaide captain Travis Boak and coach Ken Hinkley with the Showdown Cup after Saturday's win. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: News Corp Australia

THERE'S no ranting or raving, the level of his voice doesn't raise like one might imagine a revved-up coach confessing the game being "like a final" but Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley certainly hit the mark.

Or at least that's easy to say in hindsight, given the Power won Saturday's inaugural Adelaide Oval Showdown over the Crows by 55 points .

But thanks to Port Adelaide, Fox Footy was granted access to the Power's rooms before Saturday's clash.

Watch the video above and listen in to Hinkley's pre-match address as a calm Hinkley explains to his leaders the "responsibility" they have not only to each other, but to the packed Adelaide Oval crowd and their fans.

RUCCI: CROWS FANS NEED TO GET OVER IT

He asks his players to be "selfless", saying his task is done, all the while instilling a confidence in them that they are up to the task.

"Really, I'm helpless," the Power coach says.

"Unless you as a group are getting it done for me, I'm probably useless, so you've got a big job I reckon and you shouldn't shy away from it.

"Every one of you should welcome the opportunity, and I reckon you need to lean on each other ... help get each other up."

GALLERY: SHOWDOWN XXXVI

Hinkley remains remarkably cool throughout his address despite acknowledging the significance of the first-ever clash between the two clubs at Adelaide Oval.

"Let's be honest, this is a big game," he says.

"We're big enough in here to handle that heat.

"It's our first game here, it's (a) Showdown ... and it feels like a final.

"That's what it's felt like for me, so I'm not going to hide from the fact that you blokes have actually got to go out there and perform ... but I'm sure you can do it."

Coach Ken Hinkley reflects on Port Adelaide's derby win over Adelaide Crows.

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