MORE knee troubles will delay Waubra recruit Malcom Niblett’s start to the Central Highlands Football League season.
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The former Sebastopol skipper, who joined the Roos in one of the pre-season’s biggest moves, has had further surgery to tidy up problems in the knee he had reconstructed last year.
Niblett, a Ballarat Football League team of the year member, was absent for the Kookaburras’ entire 2013 campaign after sustaining the initial injury.
This setback will see him miss the early part of the season, with the club hopeful of a return by round four or five.
But it’s not all doom and gloom for the Roos, which will unveil one of the league’s most high-profile recruits when their 2014 journey gets under way tomorrow.
Waubra last night named ex-St Kilda forward Jarryd Allen to step out in the encounter with reigning premiers Hepburn.
The 26-year-old served as a non-playing assistant to senior coach and brother Jason last year, and is set to pull on the boots in an official match for the first time since a hip injury ended his career at the Saints.
Allen, who played just four games at the top level, will line up alongside former Hawthorn forward Tim Boyle, who is back for his second season with the Roos.
Meanwhile, Beaufort has selected Carlton premiership player Glenn Manton for tomorrow’s clash with Dunnstown.
Manton was lured to the Crows through his friendship with new senior coach Dale Power, who says the 40-year-old has travelled to three training sessions prior to the round one fixture.
“He’s a fit sort of fella (so) he’ll be ready, absolutely,” Power said.
“He will play a key post, (we will) probably mix him up at both ends of the ground, depending on how the game is going and match-ups with other guys.”
Former Adelaide Crow Will Young also makes his debut for Newlyn against Buninyong tomorrow.
tim.oconnor@fairfaxmedia.com.au