Crows suspend ill-disciplined trio
Adelaide have suspended three players, including the injured Graham Johncock, for breaking team rules during the AFL club's win drought.
Johncock, reigning club champion Bernie Vince and rookie Matthew Jaensch have been banned from the AFL for a week for what the club termed "breaching training and preparation standards".
The trio, who were reportedly out to a late hour at the weekend, will be available for SANFL, but not AFL, games this weekend.
"The suspensions for breaching training and preparation standards were recommended by the senior leadership group and endorsed by the senior coach (Neil Craig) and selection committee," the Crows said in a statement on Monday.
The ill discipline comes amid Adelaide's worst start to a season, the club currently 15th with seven losses from eight matches.
Johncock, prevented by a shoulder injury from playing in the latest defeat to North Melbourne last weekend, has been suspended by the Crows before.
In July 2008, he was banned by the club's leadership group for what coach Craig said at the time was "losing focus" on football. He missed two AFL games.
His new suspension will be carried over should he not be fit this weekend.
Twenty-year-old Jaensch also has a chequered history, having been cut from South Australia's under 18 team for disciplinary reasons a few years ago.
Jaensch has played three AFL games since being promoted from the rookie list earlier this year.
Vince, 24, won Adelaide's best and fairest award last year but has struggled this season under heavy tags.
The suspensions come as Adelaide prepares to host Brisbane on Sunday with doubt over a host of key players.
Wingman David Mackay and forward Chris Knights both missed last weekend and face fitness tests later in the week to determine if they will play against the Lions.
An the extent of a calf injury to key midfielder Scott Thompson, who was a late withdrawal from the Kangaroos game, has yet to be disclosed.
Forward Brett Burton was on Monday listed as being six matches from returning from his knee surgery last week.
But forgotten defender Brad Symes, who has yet to play this year due to a knee injury, is rated a chance to return in the SANFL this weekend.
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