ADELAIDE coach Don Pyke wants to see more from 307-game veteran Scott Thompson before guaranteeing his spot in the side.
Shoulder and calf injuries disrupted the 34-year-old's pre-season, but he's put in solid performances in the SANFL over the past fortnight to press his claims.
With the unbeaten Crows in red-hot form ahead of Saturday's clash with North Melbourne at Blundstone Arena, Pyke said it was too early to tell when, or even if, Thompson would add to his games tally.
"He's on track with where we thought he would be based on the preparation he's had," Pyke told reporters on Wednesday.
"His past history would suggest he's an AFL player.
"Let's get him back up and going and then assess what it looks like from there."
Thompson will find it tough to force his way into a sensational Crows' midfield that is leading the League in contested possessions.
The 6-0 Crows will keep changes to a minimum for their encounter with a Kangaroos side chasing just their second win of the season.
Midfielder Riley Knight (hamstring) is a chance to return depending on how he pulls up after the club's training session on Wednesday afternoon, while star duo Rory Sloane (corked thigh) and Eddie Betts (general soreness) will also be monitored.
"(Knight) has to complete the session tonight (Wednesday) and we'll check his availability after that," Pyke said.
"He did some running on Monday and he hit the mark as we want.
"I expect (Sloane and Betts) will train tonight and they should be fine."
Winger Paul Seedsman is still at least another month away in his lengthy recovery from a groin injury.
Seedsman missed the entire pre-season competition and hasn't been sighted in the first seven rounds of the season.
"He's had a few ups and downs in his return," Pyke said.
"It's hard to put an exact time on it so I don't want to commit to a time, but he's making good progress as he flows through his recovery program.
"Hopefully around the middle of the season we'll see him playing some footy.
"In the last couple weeks he's started to build his training load.
"He's had a couple of setbacks, but I spoke to him yesterday and he's in a good headspace and his body is starting to really present well after his sessions."
The Crows have been installed as premiership favourites, but Pyke said the team wasn't buying into the hype.
"People projecting and people writing opinions is nice, but it's not relevant for what we're doing," he said.
"The reality is we're at round six.
"We've had a good start to the season, but there's a long way to go."
Is this the end of a star Crow? Pyke won't guarantee return
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