Ballarat is hopeful up to eight players will return this weekend as the club looks to bounce back from a COVID-19 outbreak that forced a Ballarat Football Netball League reserves game to be cancelled.
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Josh Gibson, Andrew Hooper, Daniel Kennedy and Keegan Mellington are the star names on the list of Swans a chance to play after overcoming injuries or exiting isolation. However, coach Joe Carmody conceded a late selection decision would likely be made.
"It could be anywhere between four or eight players returning; I'd say," Carmody said.
"It's dependent on how they're feeling. Some of them are still pretty lethargic, and we don't want them to play under duress, either.
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"A lot of them only got out of iso on Thursday, so that was their first training. If they've got no energy and stuff like that, it's probably not worth risking their health for one week."
Last week's COVID-19 outbreak saw the Swans field seven teenagers and four reserves players in the 95-point loss to Melton.
The reserves game was also cancelled, a first for the BFNL under new COVID-19 by-laws and protocols.
Carmody said a few of the Swans' youngsters had put their cases forward for reselection, though one of last week's best performers, Tristan Maple, will miss Saturday's clash with East Point due to hamstring soreness.
"It was a good experience for those guys... playing against a top team and understanding the level you can get up to," Carmody said.
"Now we know that if we do get injuries, we've got a fair bit of depth there."
Ballarat was a surprise seven-point victor against East Point last season, beating the Roos for the first time in six years. History could be made again this weekend with the Swans winless at Eastern Oval since 2014.
Carmody believed his side would prove a good challenge if they returned to their game plan.
"If you look at the stats from last weekend, we just couldn't get our hands on the ball and control it," he said.
"(This weekend) it's going to be about making sure East Point defend us. The more can we make them more defend, the more opportunities we'll get to score."
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