ADELAIDE will be without ruckman Brad Moran for 12 weeks due to a knee injury he suffered in Saturday’s win over the Sydney Swans at AAMI Stadium.

But it could open the door for 18-year-old Shaun McKernan to make his debut against Richmond on Saturday night at Gold Coast Stadium.

Moran ruptured the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee after landing awkwardly in a contest on Saturday, ruining a promising day that netted him 18 touches and 14 hit-outs.

It was Moran’s seventh straight match for the Crows and he was shaping as a key component of the club’s recent good form. Club doctors have yet to decide whether he’ll have surgery but he is unlikely to play again this season given there are just nine games until finals.

The 196cm McKernan is the brother of former North Melbourne premiership player Corey McKernan and was taken with pick No.28 at the 2008 NAB AFL Draft after a stellar junior career.

He was selected in last year’s All Australian under-18s side and impressed at the 2008 NAB AFL Draft Camp, finishing second to Western Australia's Nick Naitanui in the vertical jump and sixth overall in the agility testing.

There was some better injury news for the Crows on Monday with Brent Reilly named as a likely starter after recovering from a hamstring strain. Captain Simon Goodwin will be given until later in the week before the club makes a decision on his fitness.

Goodwin has missed the past two matches with a knee injury.