Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson is unfazed about sending boys on a men's AFL mission against Fremantle on Saturday night.
Sanderson lost his trusty full-back Ben Rutten to a shoulder injury for the Perth fixture.
His absence leaves Sanderson with six players in defence with combined experience of 179 AFL games - some 31 shy of Rutten's personal tally of 210 matches.
"This is the youngest back six the Crows have ever put on the field," Sanderson told reporters on Friday.
"It's a really tough ask for these young boys to come across to a hostile environment ... it's going to be a great challenge.
"Ultimately as a coach, you pick your best 22 every week which you expect to win.
"It's nice when you can pick your best 22 that is available and they're all quite young. It means short term and long term, our footy club is in a pretty good position."
Sanderson's defence against the fifth-placed Dockers features Ricky Henderson as the most experienced with 53 games, followed by 48-gamers Daniel Talia and Brodie Smith, 18-gamer Luke Brown and 12-gamer Rory Laird.
And 21-year-old Kyle Hartigan will make his AFL debut and round out a defensive group with no player older than 24.
Laird and Hartigan have both come off the rookie list in a testing season for the Crows, who are in 11th spot - two wins outside the top eight.
But Sanderson was bullish about remaining in the finals race by upsetting the Dockers, who recalled three players including ruckman Aaron Sandilands.
"If we win tomorrow, we're right back in it - but first of all you have got to get the win," he said.
"Our form has been pretty good in my time against Fremantle ... it just feels like we match up pretty well against them."
Sanderson knows exactly what looms for his players: the renowned defensive strangle from the Dockers, who are the best defensive side in the league.
"The most important thing is that you don't retreat," Sanderson said.
"We know the press is coming. We know the pressure is coming.
"The important thing is you don't go further back and into your shell ... we know the heat is coming, we have just got to ensure that we can go at it with a bit of poise and composure."
