LAKE Wendouree Gavin Webb coach admits it would be a risk playing classy onballer Ben Hayes on Sunday, but it could still be a punt worth taking.
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Hayes has been named as emergency to play just his third senior game for the year in the Lakers’ elimination final against East Point.
It was only last week Webb declared there were question marks over whether Hayes would return at all this year with a quad injury – now he an outside chance of playing.
Hayes missed the first half of the season with a horror hamstring injury sustained in last year’s elimination final loss to Darley, before injury again interrupted the back-end of his year.
“He’s missed a lot of footy, it’s a bit of risk but we could still back him in,” Webb said.
“He takes one of their good players and if you were the opposition I don’t think you’d like to be playing against him.
“We will give him until the last minute.”
Michael Neal comes into the side for Dan Mahoney, while Tayler Blake is again unavailable. Blake missed last week’s game with injury and this week has been called up for just his third North Ballarat Roosters match of the season, named as the 23rd man.
His call-up to the Roosters’ side means Jono Lanyon will drop back to the East Point line-up, making it somewhat of a double-edged sword for the Lakers.
Webb said external expectations might be that his side would win comfortably, but that was far from the feeling within the camp.
“We’re still at the level where we have to play at our absolute best to win games, especially during finals,” he said.
For East Point, coach Glenn Wilkins goes in confident as his side rides a massive wave of momentum.
The Roos have won five of their last six matches, most notably the prized scalp of third-placed Darley in round 17.
“We’ve got nothing to lose really, everyone is expecting Lakers to win,” Wilkins said.
“The game is going to be won in the midfield, that’s how we’re viewing it.”
The Roos will need to find alternate routes to goal without Jordan Staley this week, who is ineligible due to playing 14 games with the Roosters.
The rule, which was introduced by AFL Victoria at the start of the year, prohibits any player who plays more than 10 VFL games in a season from going back and playing at a lower level for finals.
Staley is the only BFL player currently affected by the rule. He will drop out of the side, while Lanyon and Toby Boyle come in.
Rhys Monument is the unlucky man to miss out.
The Lakers have won both encounters between the two sides this year, the first encounter by 33 points and the second by 51 points.