The Standard | MORE than 45 new faces were last night named in sides for tomorrow’s opening round of Hampden league matches.
Reigning premier Koroit has included nine fresh options to its team that claimed the flag for its grand final re-match against arch-rival Warrnambool at Victoria Park.
Into the side come North Ballarat Rebels ruckman Nick Hausler for his senior debut, lining up alongside his older brother Jeremy and former Deakin University coach Trent Anderson.
Will Couch, a former Warrnambool player who spent 2014 at VFL club Northern Blues, will make his Saints debut while two-time Maskell medallist and Panmure premiership coach Simon O’Keefe will play after returning to Koroit, as will Ben Dobson, who spent 2014 in the Geelong league, James North who returns from Bendigo and Brett Harrington who was overseas.
Koroit will be without premiership players Ben Goodall, Chris McLaren, Levi Nagorcka, Ben Turner-Dwyer and Tim Martin.
The Saints have also lost Jayden Brennan (Keilor), Jesse White (Torquay), Tauryn Zimmer (Newtown and Chilwell) and Tim Carter (Merrivale), who all played in last year’s grand final.
Coach Adam Dowie said it was a vastly different side to the Saints’ grand final team.
“It is a fair turnover but in saying that Levi, Chris, Ben Goodall and Ben Turner-Dwyer are all still on our list,” he said.
“We think if we get everyone back we’ll have a lot of depth. Even our reserves side for Saturday is a lot stronger than last year, which is a good sign.”
Warrnambool coach Scott Carter is upbeat about a new-look Blues outfit that has six additions from the grand final, including former Adelaide Crow Tim McIntyre, returning key defender Will Jacobs (Queensland) and talented midfielder Thomas Ludeman.
Jacobs, a late off-season pick-up, is critical to the Blues, filling the void left by premiership player Peter Corredig in defence, who has moved to Melbourne. Ex-Merrivale forward James Fary will make his Hampden debut as a defender.
Portland and Port Fairy both named seven new players for their clash at Hanlon Park with the Seagulls unveiling six recruits.
The Tigers have elevated five teenagers and two slightly older players for their debuts, including impressive youngster Lachie Huppatz, a hard-charging wingman and athletic basketballer-cum-key forward Aaron Caldow.
North Warrnambool Eagles named boom recruit Dylan Parish for his first game in the league at full-forward alongside two other pick ups — former Warrnambool teenager Ben Fleming and ruck option Jaymen Fletcher.
The Eagles host a settled Terang Mortlake, which has two new faces. One, a former captain in Nathan Jones, returns to the club and defender James Reicha, who is also back home.
Cobden might be a young side but only three of their 21 will be making their debuts in the match against Hamilton Kangaroos tomorrow night.
Former Timboon Demons half-back Ryan Smith, under 17 on-baller Jono Benallack and ruckman Leigh Finlayson are Cobden’s new players while the Kangaroos have five additions to their side from last year, including Sam Quinn, exciting former Casterton wingman Corey Jarrad and ruckman Jake Pertzel.
Camperdown, under new coach Phil Carse, has seven new faces for the trip down the Princes Highway for the clash against South Warrnambool at the Friendly Societies’ Park.
They include new recruits Daniel Seehusen, in-and-under midfielder Jack McDonald, Riley Arnold, forward Harry Gordon and defender Brett Ryan.
South Warrnambool will be without star midfielder Nick Thompson who suffered an arm injury in an intra-club practice match last weekend but they boast a number of exciting teenagers.
Experienced players Zacc Struth (hamstring) and forward Robbie Gregg (hip) have been named after off-season surgery.
