ADELAIDE coach Phil Walsh will soon discover which players he can truly rely on.
The tough-talking coach, who joined the Crows from Port Adelaide last September, will take the reins for the first time on Sunday when his side faces North Melbourne in its opening NAB Challenge clash in Port Lincoln.
Since his appointment Walsh has repeatedly listed "elite standards" and "team first" football as the club's most important messages and has also insisted the playing group has embraced the philosophy.
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But as the Crows prepare to launch their 2015 campaign with their first pre-season game, Walsh said no player was a lock for round one and the NAB Challenge would determine who was dedicated to his cause.
"They're all up for grabs, no doubt about that, they're all up for grabs," Walsh said.
"The difference between saying what you're going to do and actually doing it is directly related to how many of your players are interested in being Adelaide Football Club players and how many are committed.
"That's what I'm about to find out.
"I couldn't question their commitment in the pre-season, but when you come up against opposition it's another level of pressure.
"I'll find out who's totally committed to get us where we need to go."
Adelaide will take a strong squad with a mix of experience and youth to face the Kangaroos, but has rested several of its biggest stars.
Scott Thompson, David Mackay, Sam Jacobs, Richard Douglas and Patrick Dangerfield will all miss the game.
Walsh said there were no injury concerns behind their omission from the squad of 29, just that their workload would be managed prior to the club's season-opener, also against North Melbourne, on April 5.
"They all should be right for the Geelong game (March 12). In saying that I don't want to expose some of my older players to the whole three games," he said.
"That's just a philosophy of mine."
Sunday afternoon will be Walsh's first taste of coaching a game as the main man in charge.
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He maintained that fans would know his style of football when they saw it, but when it came to his style of coaching, he said he preferred a simple approach.
For a man credited with one of the most tactically brilliant minds in the modern game, simplicity hasn't come easy.
But he's learned it worked best by previously making the mistake of overcomplicating his messages to players as an assistant coach.
"I've been called too complex at times," he said.
"(Jose) Mourinho at Chelsea at half time, he'll only mention three things, he'll only give them three things to focus on and I reckon there's something in that.
"I think Einstein might have said it; the art of it is being able to make the complex simple, and that's basically what I try and do."
Meanwhile, Port Adelaide draftee Billy Frampton has been placed on the long-term injury list as he continues his rehabilitation from surgery.
The young ruckman arrived at Alberton via pick No. 84 at last year's NAB AFL Draft with compartment syndrome in his shin and had an operation to fix the issue last December.
The club expects he'll return to full training by round three.
