Devon Smith will miss Thursday night's qualifying final against Adelaide with knee soreness.
GIANTS coach Leon Cameron revealed the 24-year-old won't line up on Thursday night, after the forward didn't arrive with his teammates in Adelaide on Wednesday afternoon.
Smith struggled for form in recent weeks after battling the knee injury in the second half of the season.
"It's been ongoing for probably the back half of the year," Cameron told reporters at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday.
"He's sort of had some issues, plays a week or two, probably three weeks, then struggles a little bit, which is disappointing for him.
"He is definitely starting to get a little bit of rhythm, but we feel as though that, first final against Adelaide over here, you've got to be able to go the distance.
"Devon said to us he didn't think he could go the distance, needs another week to prepare, so we've gone down that path. We don't want to take any unfit players in."
While Smith will miss, veteran Steve Johnson has made the trip to South Australia despite his own issues with form.
Johnson has also been dealing with a knee problem – one that requires weekly draining and restricts his ability to train – and had just eight touches in the GIANTS' loss to Geelong in round 23.
"Whether he plays or he doesn't, I know the interest is heightened because of his career and being a big finals player and where he sits. His performances over the past couple of weeks probably haven't been at the level they needed to be at," Cameron said.
"He's the first one to walk into the office and say 'I haven't been playing some great footy'.
"On top of that, we've had to juggle his injury with his knee, but whether he does play or he doesn't play, he'll be participating somewhere along the line in September action."
If Johnson doesn't play in the qualifying final, he will run out for the Giants' reserves against the Crows' reserves in a trial game on Friday morning at Football Park.
The three-time premiership Cat has already announced he'll retire at season's end.
The GIANTS' three emergencies from round 23 – Matt de Boer, Tim Taranto and Harry Himmelberg – have all made the trip, as well as first-year player Harry Perryman, who last played in round 19.
The Giants will train at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday afternoon ahead of Thursday night's final.
Wet weather is predicted for Adelaide on Thursday night, with Cameron admitting that could force him to go with a smaller forward line.
"If conditions suit players low to the ground, then we'll definitely look at that, but saying that we back our system in, and one change or two changes is not going to be the difference in the game," Cameron said.
Cameron said he expected Crows star Rory Sloane to line up despite having barely returned to training after having his appendix removed last Tuesday.
The GIANTS take on the Crows to kick off the 2017 Toyota AFL Finals Series on Thursday night at Adelaide Oval. The game will be shown LIVE in Channel 7 in NSW and the ACT and Fox Footy nationally.
