ADELAIDE has ruled out Tom Lynch from Saturday's game against Greater Western Sydney with the forward suffering from ongoing toe soreness.

The club said Lynch's training loads had been considerably reduced in recent weeks and he had required pain killers to play at AFL level.

Lynch was at the centre of Adelaide's medical sub drama during the Crows' clash with Hawthorn and wasn't ready to play when he was needed.

Coach Matthew Nicks said on Monday that the Lynch substitution had been executed exactly as the club had planned, but acknowledged "that it wasn't the best look".

"Unfortunately we couldn't get him to train again," Nicks told reporters on Friday.

"It's a tough one because it's inflammation, it's not necessarily one where we know a timeframe on ... .this is one of those situations where we don't know exactly how long (out).

"We hope a week will help him and the inflammation and pain will die down. We'd love to get him to a point where he can play unassisted."

In other news, emerging defender Will Hamill is expected to miss 1-2 weeks with a foot injury, and fellow backman Luke Brown is in doubt. 

Nicks said Brown was battling a couple of issues - his absence would rob Adelaide of its preferred match-up on Giants star Toby Greene.

"I know Toby really well and there's a plan ready for him," said Nicks, a former GWS assistant coach.

"It's a matter of whether that plan is going to work.

"He is a very talented footballer ... he has been very much the barometer of where they have been at.

"He is very dangerous ahead of the footy ...we have got a couple of plans in case the first one doesn't work."

Nicks said his Crows, in ninth spot with three wins, had the utmost respect for the Giants, who have won two of their past three games to sit in 14th place.

"I know them reasonably well and sometimes that is harder as a coach because you know what they can do," he said.

"They're a pretty good outfit.

"They have got a lot of talent in that side, they're playing some really strong footy at the moment with a young group, it's a credit to them."