OUT of favour North Melbourne forward Lindsay Thomas is bringing his game back to the Roosters.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Thomas is set for his first Victorian Football League game since 2012 – he booted six goals for North Ballarat Roosters against Geelong in that sole appearance, backing up a nine-goal haul he made a season earlier when joining the Roosters to shake off his goalkicking yips.
He is undoubtedly a massive inclusion for the Selkirk Roosters, who are travelling to face formidable top team Box Hill Hawks on Saturday.
North Melbourne coach Brad Scott said Thomas, by his own admission, had not been performing near his best.
“He’ll go back and perform, I’ve got no doubt,” Scott said. “He’s too good a player to be in the VFL for long and this is just a bit of a reboot so he can come back into the senior side and play the way we want him to play.”
The Kangaroos reclaim onballer Ryan Bastinac, who has chalked up 30-plus disposals in consecutive games for the Roosters, and in-form defender Aaron Mullett. Forward Taylor Garner will play his first AFL game after two injury-plagued years.
Tough roosters onballer Nick Couch has been named for his VFL season debut. Couch played a hard, pivotal role in the Roosters’ late comeback and upset of powerhouse Hawks in the wet at Box Hill City Oval – a potential omen for what awaits the Roosters this week.
Couch has made steady progress in a return from a serious knee injury via Central Highlands club Springbank the past three weeks.
Roosters injury update: Matt Austin (ITB) 1 week, Orren Stephenson (calf) 1 week, Nick Peters (ankle) 2 weeks, Michael Powell (scaphoid) 6-7 weeks, James Lukich (knee) indefinite, Jesse Collins (hamstring) indefinite, Brody Mahoney (foot) indefinite, Jesse Murphy (hip) indefinite, Lachlan Cassidy (shoulder) season, Bryce Curnow (shoulder) season, Keegan Mellington (knee) season, Mitch Rodd (tibia stress fracture) season, James Richards (shoulder) season.
BOX HILL v
NORTH BALLARAT
at Box Hill City Oval
Saturday, noon start
ROOSTERS TEAM –B: Lockyer Tippett* Schache. HB: Warren# Boseley Kiel. C: McKenzie* Dumont* Scott. HF: Couch Keeble Thomas*. F: George Black* A Hooper. R: Marshall Sewell Rippon. Inter: Tsitas Preuss# Bacon Staley Blake^.
Emerg: Bolton Lyle Lanyon Youl.
*North Melb Listed #North Melb rookie ^23rd player
IN: Lindsay Thomas, Trent Dumont, Nick Couch, Tyler Blake.
OUT: Ryan Bastinac, Taylor Garner, Aaron Mullett (all North Melbourne), Tom Templeton (Rebels).
