North Adelaide will be forced to chase the SANFL flag without pacy wingman Leigh Ryswyk.

The talented attacking weapon's season has been abruptly halted on the eve of the finals series after suffering a thigh injury in the third quarter of the impressive victory over Sturt on Friday night.

Ryswyk, a member of the 2006 Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year, will miss the qualifying final clash with Woodville-West Torrens at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

He will also be a spectator for the following round of finals. Scans today will reveal the extent of the damage but the club is claiming the best-case scenario is to have him available for the grand final if the Roosters qualify.

"Leigh was pretty devastated after the game," Roosters football manager James Moore said. "He is a good young lad who has been a very good player for us for the past two years. It could be the season for him and he is treating it that way."

Roosters captain Darryl Wintle is fighting a tough battle to prove his fitness after being kept out of the Sturt game with a hamstring injury. Coach Andrew Jarman is refusing to take any risks with players and Wintle must join in the full workout tomorrow night or be ruled out of the Eagles encounter.

The Eagles are hopeful of regaining key forwards Tim Inkster (knee) and Mark Passador (back) after they missed the last-round draw with Glenelg.

Sturt could regain a swag of key personnel, including Power-listed Greg Bentley and Adam Thomson, for the elimination final battle with Glenelg on Sunday.

Skipper Ben Nelson (foot), Tristan Gum (hamstring) and Ryan Herring (hamstring) will be tested. Simon Feast (hamstring) and Jade Sheedy (ankle) must survive fitness tests after being unable to finish the match against the Roosters.

The Crows have released Marty Mattner to the Double Blues.

Mattner is qualified for SANFL finals despite playing just one league game for the Blues this season. However, as he was dropped from AFL duty in round 14 when Sturt had the bye and round 19 - when he travelled to Geelong as the Crows' emergency instead of tackling the Eagles - he is deemed eligible.

Power operations manager Peter Rohde said the club would decide today which players it would release for the SANFL finals.

Glenelg pair Travis Boak and Tom Logan, both with little game-time under their belt, may gain clearance to play.

Courtesy of The Advertiser
Story by Warren Partland & Zac Milbank

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