ADELAIDE'S first home game at the new Adelaide Oval will be coupled with the Crows first clash with their most-damaging defector, Sydney ruckman-forward Kurt Tippett.

Adelaide versus Tippett - with his new sidekick in Hawthorn defector Lance Franklin - will headline the challenging first month to be handed to the Crows on Thursday when the AFL fixture is released.

The Crows' first three games are against 2013 finalists:

- GEELONG in the club's season opener with a Thursday night game at Kardinia Park on March 20.

- PORT ADELAIDE in the Oval opener with the Power hosting the Showdown on Saturday, March 29 either in a twilight or night match.

- SYDNEY in early April with the timing of the match still subject to a late change as the AFL deals with its broadcast partners.

THE MISSION TO REBUILD TEX WALKER

Such a tough opening seems to contradict the new AFL theme of having Adelaide - which ranked 11th - be handed a draw that has it face teams ranked between 7-12 more often.

But Adelaide chief executive Steven Trigg says the full draw is well balanced for the Crows as they expect fairness in a football context and top-shelf games for commercial value.

"It is a demanding first month," he said. "But overall it is a reasonably balanced draw - and it brings good-drawing teams to town."

Tippett did not face the Crows last year as his 11-game ban - for salary cap and draft violations in his secret contract with Adelaide from 2009 - expired on the day the Swans played their only game against Adelaide this year.

Adelaide's draw - which was still being fine-tuned on Saturday with timeslots being altered - has:

JUST one Thursday night game at the Oval - against a big-drawing Victorian club. However, this game will not be before a Friday public holiday or during school holidays.

LIONS TO PLAY ON ANZAC DAY

NO Anzac Day home fixture for the Crows, as the club hoped - and pushed with vigour and strong advance planning in its request list to the AFL.

A GAME in Hobart - against North Melbourne. This is a first for the Crows who have played five premiership games at Launceston but never at the Tasmanian capital.

A RETURN to Canberra for the first time since 2002 - this time to play Greater Western Sydney - has been removed.

The full AFL fixture will be released on Thursday morning.