The Standard | MERRIVALE’S forward line has received a boost for its big clash against Dennington tomorrow.
Joe Woonton and Hamish Gurry return to the Tigers’ line-up after missing a week with minor calf and knee restraints respectively.
Tiger midfielder Josh Sobey is also a welcome inclusion for the Warrnambool and District league round three battle which pits two undefeated sides against one another.
Nathan Crute (corked thigh), Lachlan Kelly (ankle) and Josh Britton, who was the sub against East Warrnambool, make way.
Merrivale coach Karl Dwyer said the Tigers were almost at full strength, with Josh Keilar and Tim Carter building form in the reserves.
Dwyer said the Tigers were excited to test themselves against the Dogs.
“I think we will get a good gauge of where we’re at,” he said.
Dennington welcomes back wingman Clinton Hall, ruckman Josh Lock and debutant Grayden Russell, who has earned a senior berth after crossing from Hampden league club Warrnambool.
Dogs coach Darcy Lewis said Hall had worked his way into the side after an impressive fortnight in the seconds.
“He started out and his intentions were to be the runner, then the practice games came and he got keen and the first two matches in the reserves he got best-on and we couldn’t keep him out,” he said.
“He’s a fitness machine.”
Lewis said Lock was a valuable addition and would give Wallace support in the ruck.
“He was our number one and only ruckman the last few years since he was a kid,” he said.
“He’s been really dominant the last two weeks in the reserves. He has enjoyed it and it’s what he needed.”
Russell is another player who worked his way into the senior team following solid form in the twos.
“He’s a really exciting young player,” Lewis said.
“He’s really, really fast and attacks the ball really, really hard.”
Chris Vickery (overseas), Kurt Smith (groin) and John Vincent (omitted) are the Dogs’ three outs.
Both coaches will be sidelined for the South Rovers-Panmure clash at Walter Oval.
Lions mentor Nathan Isles and his Bulldogs counterpart David Haynes will lead from the bench after sustaining minor injuries.
Haynes has a slight hamstring strain which he hopes will only keep him out for one match.
The Bulldogs have also lost Tom White, who is unavailable, and Dylan Payne, who has returned to Terang Mortlake to play under 18½.
Isles is one of two omissions for the Lions with promising ruckman-cum-forward Darcy Chandler returning to boarding school in Melbourne.
The first-year mentor said he was confident of returning to the South Rovers’ line-up in round four.
“It’s nothing too major,” Isles said. “I tweaked the groin-hip flexor in the last quarter on Saturday.
“Hopefully it’s just a week.”
Winless Deakin University has made wholesale changes for its match against Nirranda.
The Sharks, who have conceded a whopping 449 points in their opening two games and are languishing at the foot of the table with a percentage of 5.57, have named seven different players from their round two line-up.
Nirranda has lost Ash Cole and Mitch Couch to general soreness and Ben Ludeman who is unavailable.
Former Terang Mortlake player Dylan Lee, Matt Hoy and Blake Lane come in for the Blues.
