KEY forward Aaron Black returns to North Ballarat Roosters’ line-up this week from AFL duty.
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Black moved up to replace suspended North Melbourne leader Drew Petrie, who served a week’s ban. Fellow forward Lindsay Thomas has been recalled by the Roos to face Brisbane after two weeks rebuilding form with the Roosters in the Victorian Football League.
The Selkirk Roosters are preparing for a winless, but spirited Frankston outfit at Eureka Stadium on Saturday. A developing Frankston is looking to Saturday’s game in Ballarat as a genuine team-bonding road trip.
Heavy grounds are starting to take their toll on the Roosters, who continue to monitor Liam Hoy and veteran ruckman Orren Stephenson through the week, especially with players training indoors for their main session on Wednesday night.
Roosters midfielder Nick Couch was ruled out early this week with a serious hamstring injury but it is a chance for Sam Scott to step back up to VFL action. Scott was in good form for Geelong Football League club Leopold last week.
Tough Rebels midfielder Joe Symons (North Ballarat City) gets his chance to taste VFL football as the Roosters’ 23rd man. He is the fourth Rebel to earn the call-up this season. Symons makes his Roosters debut with the Rebels playing a curtain raiser for their TAC Cup under-18 clash against Queensland.
The Roosters and Rebels are celebrating a long, successful pathway and partnership. Five Roosters-listed players have been Rebels best and fairests: Myles Sewell (2006), Nick Peters (2007), Andrew Hooper (2008), Coleman Schache (2011) and Nick Rippon (2012). Roosters co-captains Matt Austin and Sewell and vice-captain Lachie George are Rebels’ graduates.
ROOSTERS v DOLPHINS
Eureka Stadium
Saturday, 2pm
ROOSTERS – B: Schache Tippett* Lockyer; HB: Kiel Boseley Warren#; C: Bacon Dumont* Tsitas; HF: George Staley Keeble; F: A Hooper Black* Nahas*; R: Stephenson Sewell McKenzie*; Inter: Hoy Scott Rippon Symons^ Preuss#.
Emerg: Anderson Lanyon Werts Bowen
*NMelb #NMelb rookie ^23rd man
IN: Symons, Black, Scott. OUT: Johnston (23rd), Thomas (Nth Melb), Couch (hamstring).
INJURIES: Michael Powell (scaphoid) 3 weeks, Nick Couch (hamstring) 3 weeks, Matt Austin (ITB) indefinite, James Lukich (ITB) indef., Jesse Collins (hamstring) indef., Brody Mahoney (foot) indef.. SEASON: Lachlan Cassidy (shoulder), Bryce Curnow (shoulder), Keegan Mellington (knee), Mitch Rodd (tibia), James Richards (shoulder).