NORTH Ballarat has lost experienced onballer Lachie George and emerging defender Sam Hooper to injury for its historic VFL clash with Geelong under lights at Eureka Stadium on Friday night.
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George is out with a calf issue, while Hooper has bruised ribs.
The double setback continues a horror run with injuries for the Selkirk Roosters.
They join prominent players Andrew Hooper (calf), Louis Herbert (hamstring) and Tony Lockyer (ankle) on the sidelines for the first game on the redeveloped Eureka Stadium ground.
Andrew Hooper is yet to get any match time in either practice matches or the opening two home and away rounds as a result with shoulder, calf and ankle injuries., while Herbert and Lockyer were struck down in the Roosters’ first round win over Coburg.
Andrew Hooper will miss up to another six weeks with a recurrence of the calf injury.
George and Sam Hooper were injured in Friday night’s heavy loss to Essendon in Bendigo.
Fortunately it is not all bad news for North Ballarat.
Ruckman Orren Stephenson returns on Friday night after getting over a hamstring strain suffered pre-season.
Stephenson was close to playing against Essendon, but coach Marc Greig chose not to risk his most experienced big man.
Greig cannot believe the misfortune the Roosters are having with injuries.
He said no one could have foreseen the trouble they had had.
Greig said to make it worse the injuries had impacted on his most experienced players.
