Adelaide coach Don Pyke is confident that dropped midfielder Bryce Gibbs can still play his part for Adelaide, despite being dropped for the fourth time this season.
The former Blue was axed for Showdown 47 against Port Adelaide on Saturday, after only getting 13 disposals against Geelong last week.
Gibbs has had a torrid 2019, having been unable to play consecutive games at senior level since Round 3.
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However, Pyke is backing him in.
"I'm really confident he'll turn this around," Pyke said.
"He's a quality player, that's why we got him to the footy club.
"He's having a bit of a rough patch at the moment, but he'll come out the other side."
Pyke said that Gibbs will get another chance, after having finished fourth in last year's best and fairest, playing all 22 games.
"He understands and he had an opportunity last week," Pyke said.
"He didn't grab it and now he knows he has to go back (to the SANFL) and work hard and double down to get himself another chance.
"I'm sure when that comes, he'll put his best foot forward."
The comments are at odds with AFL 360 host Mark Robinson's belief that Gibbs is done at Adelaide, and at AFL level.
“I’d be surprised if Bryce plays football again, but on another level, the fall-off has been so drastic that I don’t think he can get it back,” he said.
“I think the game has moved away from Bryce, he’s got smarts but his lack of urgency, he’s never been an urgent player, he’s been a really good ready and (has the) ability to find the pill, that’s not happening.
"I think it might be over for Bryce, I hope not he’s a nice fella, but everyone loses it at once stage.”
Robinson's comments were echoed by AFL great Leigh Matthews, who criticised the Crows for the dropping on 3AW.
"Your confidence would be shattered, wouldn't it," Matthews said.
"I'm not one that thinks the threat of omission is a motivator."
Gibbs is averaging 30 disposals at SANFL level from three games this year, whilst only averaging 19 touches at AFL level.