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AAP
AAP
Sport
Steve Larkin

Crows wary of Freo before prelim final

Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke is drawing much from his AFLW team's last meeting with Fremantle. (AAP)

Adelaide's AFLW coach Matthew Clarke reckons his club's last clash with Fremantle is largely irrelevant to Saturday's preliminary final.

But he'll gladly take a repeat.

Adelaide downed the Dockers on February 26, winning 3.7 (25) to 2.4 (16) in a game featuring some remarkable statistics.

The Crows had a whopping 43 inside 50s to Fremantle's lowly 16 - and the Dockers entered their attacking zone just four times in the last half.

"The first half of that game was a cracking game," Clarke said ahead of the rematch at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

"The ball flowed up and down, it was really open and both teams were able to use the ball pretty well."

Fremantle led by a point - 1.3 to 1.2 - at half-time.

The Crows then controlled proceedings without cashing in on the scoreboard, with Clarke taking a glass half-full approach.

"The second half, we dominated field position," he said.

"And sometimes when you do that, you get those repeat inside 50s and often you're going back into density and therefore your conversion can diminish somewhat.

"But there's probably opportunities for us just to shift the angles a little bit and try and use the open side a little but more in those situations.

"If we can get that scenario again, I will be very happy.

Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke is putting little weight on their last AFLW clash with Fremantle. (AAP)

"I don't envisage it (the prelim final) is going to play out like that, but if it does, there's probably ways we can manufacture better looks at goal in a high density situation.

"But there's significant changes to both teams from that game so I probably won't read a heap into it ... the learnings from the last time are perhaps not that relevant."

The Crows have made four changes for the preliminary final, welcoming back Montana McKinnon, Brooke Tonon, Hannah Munyard and Maddy Newman.

McKenzie Dowrick, Jasmyn Hewett and Zoe Prowse were all dropped, while Eloise Jones was ruled out through suspension.

Fremantle small forward Makaela Tuhakaraina returns from the COVID-19 protocols to replace Sarah Wielstra (ankle).

In the four completed AFLW seasons, the Crows have won the premiership twice (2017, 2019) and were runners-up last year.

This season, Adelaide lost just one game - by one point - en route to taking the minor premiership.

But COVID-related complications during the qualifying finals meant Clarke's side has had to wait three weeks, instead of two, for their preliminary final.

Clarke noted the added week off gave some players extra time to recover from niggling injuries but that was balanced against the lack of playing continuity - Adelaide's last game was on March 13.

Melbourne will host defending premiers Brisbane in the other preliminary final in what will be the first AFLW match played at the MCG.

The Demons welcome back Eden Zanker from a quad injury in their sole change, with Tahlia Gillard the unlucky player to make way.

The Lions recalled defender Indy Tahau from illness to replace last week's debutant Maggie Harmer.

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