
NORTH Ballarat Roosters have called up defenders Mitch Rodd and Tom Taurau for Saturday’s encounter with Coburg in the VFL at Eureka Stadium.
They have been added with two of three Selkirk Roosters changes forced on them by injury.
North Ballarat coach Marc Greig could not consider Shaun Lyle or Keegan Mellington for selection after each was injured in the loss to Box Hill Hawks.
Lyle has an abductor strain and is expected to miss one to two weeks, while Keegan Mellington has corked quadricep and will miss a week.
Rodd, who has played four games with the Roosters this year, returns after recovering from a corked thigh suffered against Richmond on May 14.
He has returned via Ballarat Swans in the Ballarat Football League.
First-year player Taurau has been playing back with his home club Stawell in the Wimmera league after playing three times in the VFL.
The Roosters have also rotated their 23rd player.
James Gow steps up from the North Ballarat Rebels under-18s, which have a break this week.
He replaces Ben Lusby, who returns to East Point in the BFL, and becomes the 38th player to line up with the Roosters this season.
Gow from Koroit played with the Rebels in 2014, but took last season off to focus on studies.
With a record of one win in seven games and on the bottom of the ladder, the Roosters are hoping just their third home match of the season can turn things around.
The Roosters defeated Coburg in the opening round and Greig has no doubt that with a stronger line-up they can repeat the performance.
He is also mindful though that Coburg has won two of its latest games against Richmond and Essendon.
The Lions have also pushed the likes of Northern Blues and Frankston.