RUCKMAN Orren Stephenson is out of the Roosters’ clash with long-time rival Port Melbourne on Saturday.
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Stephenson struggled to recover from a corked calf he sustained in the dying minutes of a 146-point loss to Footscray in the Victorian Football League last round.
North Ballarat Roosters have looked to exciting, developing ruckman Rowan Marshall to take Stephenson’s place for a telling match in the ‘Borough fortress.
Marshall will play under the 23rd man rule but he was promoted on dominant form with Sebastopol in the Ballarat Football League.
He steps up to the VFL one week after playing interleague football for the BFL against Bendigo.
The Portland native graduated from the Rebels’ TAC Cup program as a 19-year-old last season and has quickly established himself in the Burras’ ruck.
Marshall has been pushing close for selection all season.
The Selkirk Roosters have named an extended interchange, including the North Melbourne-listed Taylor Garner, who is set for his first game in more than a year after struggling with repeated injury troubles.
Garner played 13 games for the Roosters in 2013.
Forward James Keeble and utility Liam Hoy are expected to be cleared to play.
Keeble has missed the past two weeks with hamstring soreness. He has played the one game this season after missing the opening three rounds with a knee strain.
Hoy is set to return from bad lower back soreness.
Stand-alone rival Port Melbourne has won four of its five matches this season and enters the match with the Roosters off a five-point win against Geelong. Borough captain Toby Pinwill amassed 38 possessions.
Western Bulldogs ruckman Will Minson is free to play against Greater Western Sydney this Saturday after receiving a reprimand for intentionally making contact with an umpire in the Bulldogs’ VFL match against North Ballarat on Sunday.
Minson’s four-match ban, handed out by the VFL tribunal on Tuesday night, was thrown out.
The VFL Appeals Board instead dealt Minson a reprimand “in the most severe terms” and a $7500 fine after a hearing on Thursday night.
Minson was sent off with a red card in Sunday’s match between Footscray and North Ballarat and reported, with his case sent straight to the tribunal after he pushed umpire Thomas Chrystie in the back with his left arm.