Clarke’s inclusion could stretch Adelaide’s backline for height considering it has lost key defender Daniel Talia.

Freo assistant Peter Sumich agreed playing at a hostile AAMI Stadium against Adelaide was a tough challenge, but he said it was no tougher than facing the reigning premiers at the MCG.

“They’re all tough,” Sumich said.

“Adelaide are a great side. A top two finish and they deserve the double chance and two home finals.

“That’s where it sits.”

The Crows swamped Freo in the second half to win by 29 points in the last match the teams played, at AAMI in round 20.

Sumich said Freo had reassessed and would go into Friday’s Semi Final with a slightly different game plan.

“After half time they got a hold of us,” he said.

“It was all-round. There was a fair bit going on through stoppages, like our ball movement and their ball movement. The way they operated going into our forward line - the way they dropped back on us.”

Freo goes into Friday’s match with some extra manpower compared to the previous meeting.

“There are a couple of different players coming in - a handy two in (Nat) Fyfe and (Aaron) Sandilands,” Sumich said.

Chris Mayne was also subbed off at half-time of the round 20 match after copping a heavy knock.

The Crows did not have forward target-man Kurt Tippett in that game, but Rising Star winner Talia will be missing on Friday night.

He held Matthew Pavlich to two goals in round 20.

Adelaide has not lost two games in a row all season and will be the first top-two side since the current finals system was introduced in 2000 to go out in straight sets if it loses to Freo on Friday.

The last time a top-two side went out in straight sets was Geelong in 1997 after it lost to Adelaide at Football Park under the old finals system that saw top four sides relinquish the right to a second home final if they lost in the first week.

Brenton Sanderson was a member of the Cats’ side that lost to Adelaide, the club he now coaches.