FRESH contracts for decorated Adelaide trio Matt Crouch, Daniel Talia and Tom Lynch will depend on their respective AFL returns from injury.
The experienced trio, who are all off-contract at season's end, are enduring injury-troubled seasons at the Crows.
Talia (foot) and Crouch (groin) haven't played a premiership game this year while Lynch (toe) has been sidelined since round six.
Crows coach Matthew Nicks said contract negotiations with the trio were underway, but the hierarchy wants to see them return to action before committing to length of tenure.
"I am not going to come out and say they have to play football (this season) for them to be at this footy club going forward, that's not the case," Nicks told reporters on Friday.
"But it is factored into the conversation at this point."
Nicks said that was particularly relevant for 29-year-old Talia and 30-year-old Lynch moreso than the 26-year-old Crouch.
"We want to see and make sure that Daniel first and foremost knows that he's still able to play at the level," he said.
"We have got Lynchy in a similar position, we have got Matty Crouch in a similar position.
"These guys, there's a contract being discussed but at the same time they are just keen and eager to get back playing footy ... they're really important parts to what we're doing.
"Some of those (talks) still sit around getting those guys back and playing footy, so that is where the challenge comes in, that is where these things may go on a little longer.
"There's a little bit in the fact that we would like to see these guys back playing football before we come to an agreement with those players."
Forward Lynch, the club's leading goalkicker in 2013, has yet to return to full training and is at least a month away from a playing comeback.
Adelaide's 2017 club champion Crouch is about six weeks from returning while Talia's prognosis remains uncertain, though Nicks was hopeful the All Australian defender would play this season.
MEDICAL ROOM The full AFL injury list
"It's quite tough for Tals ... he's just having some small setbacks which makes it hard for him," Nicks said.
"We have still got half a season to go ... we know what he brings when it comes to on-field, we just hope we can see that before the season is out."
