Adelaide livewire Josh Rachele is adamant that he'll be raring to go next week as he recovers from a rib injury.
Rachele's bright start to the 2025 season was hindered in Round 3, when a physical contest resulted in broken ribs.
But the 21-year-old is reportedly ahead of schedule, and is doing everything in his power to declare himself ready for Round 7, according to his coach Matthew Nicks.
"He'll start his contact early next week," Nicks said.
"He's been doing a lot of work, from a physical point of view, to try and keep himself match fit. We know you don't get the same intensity, you don't hit bodies, and that's part of the fitness.
"He's pretty confident that he'll play next week ... now, that's one thing," Nicks said.
"With the injury he's coming off we won't know and he won't know, until he feels a bag, first and foremost, then a body, and has to basically get to start tackling.
"We won't take too much of a risk with Josh.
"But we do feel he was adding a lot to our group in those first three weeks; he was influential, and we are missing him at the moment."
Fellow forward and livewire Izak Rankine has also pulled up well from the Geelong loss despite a lingering injury cloud over him that saw him nearly withdrawn from the clash.
Rankine carried a calf injury into the contest and was given every chance to prove his fitness, and his performance suggests the Crows made the right call.
"There was noise around the way we went about it," Nicks said.
"But ultimately it was a decision made in the last warm-up indoors and him running out on the ground.
"Any risk ... we would have made a call to not risk him. He helped us with that call.
"He felt great; he went out, and as we have seen across this season especially, he impacted the game."
Key defender Nick Murray is expected to return to the senior side to combat the GWS forward line consisting of Jesse Hogan, Aaron Cadman and Jake Riccardi.
Murray's inclusion could be as midfielder James Peatling serves his one-game suspension for a dangerous tackle on Cats defender Oisin Mullin.
Peatling, along with ex-Giant Isaac Cumming, was set to face their former on Saturday at Adelaide Oval, but will miss due to the ban.
