Vince not fully fit for rest of year
Adelaide's reigning club champion Bernie Vince won't be fully fit for the rest of the AFL season, Crows coach Neil Craig says.
The Crows on Friday named Vince in the side to play Melbourne at AAMI Stadium on Sunday, ending a four-match absence through club-imposed suspension and an ankle injury.
But Adelaide ran out of patience with forward Jason Porplyzia and dropped him for the 13th-versus-15th clash.
Porplyzia booted 57 goals last season when he finished behind Vince in Adelaide's best-and-fairest award, but has managed just 13 from 11 games this season and went goal-less against Hawthorn in round 12.
Vince was suspended for one match by Adelaide for staying out late after the Crows' loss to North Melbourne in round eight.
He then damaged an ankle at training, an injury which Craig says will bother the playmaker for the rest of the season.
"That (ankle) won't be 100 per cent for the rest of the year but it's good enough to perform on," Craig said on Friday.
"If we had to wait for 100 per cent, he wouldn't play for the rest of the year, ankles tend to be like that.
"But he's doing all the training, and training at the level we want him to play at, he's played two (SANFL) games.
"He wasn't in great form before he went through his situation."
Rookie Matthew Jaensch was also suspended for being out late with Vince after the round-eight loss, but was also named to return against the Demons.
Craig said Jaensch had responded well to his punishment.
"He has paid a price for it and we don't want to keep making him pay a price, that is not what it's all about," he said.
"Both he and Bernie ... paid that price.
"It's done, it's dusted, and now we judge them, like everyone else, on their performances."
Adelaide also dropped Jared Petrenko and recalled Phil Davis, but could not consider key defender Nathan Bock because of a groin injury.
Melbourne made one change to their final side, as defender Joel Macdonald came in for youngster Jordan Gysberts, who was quiet in the draw with Collingwood on the Queen's Birthday holiday.
The Demons could not consider skipper James McDonald (hamstring) and utility Colin Sylvia (toe).
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