Geelong has axed a star forward whose form has been seriously questioned while Adelaide loses two of its biggest names for Thursday night’s blockbuster.
See the sides for Round 13 below!
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The Crows will be without gun forwards Izak Rankine (calf) and Riley Thilthorpe (suspension), plus star defender Mark Keane, who’s available but looks set to return through the SANFL.
However they regain Tex Walker, while mid-season draftee Hugo Hall-Kahan makes an almost immediate AFL debut, being picked up after 18 months on the Sydney rookie list and then a stint in the VFL.
The Cats have dropped the out-of-form Brad Close, who has been criticised for a defensive lapse with flow-on effects allowing Carlton’s Patrick Cripps to kick the game-winning goal last week.
Young ruckman Mitch Edwards has been managed with Chris Scott instead throwing Mark Blicavs into the ruck, while Lawson Humphries misses with an ankle injury.
“I’m not really sure (on Lawson), I’m not sure (the medical staff are) sure either, because he hasn’t done a whole lot post-game. They were pretty optimistic afterwards in the immediate aftermath,” Scott said of Lawson this week.
“When you think about that in the context of the way sometimes we proactively manage players who don’t have any glaring acute injury issue, then playing guys when they’re less than their best sounds a bit counter to what we’re trying to put in place.
“It puts a bit of doubt on Lawson, but it shouldn’t be construed as he couldn’t play. He could choose not to play, and it’s likely that, ‘Yeah, he could’ve, but we chose to prioritise optimisation.”
Jack Martin, Jack Bowes and Oli Wiltshire come into the side, with Bowes (three goals and 28 disposals) and Wiltshire (three goals) both excellent at VFL level recently.
The rest of the Round 13 teams will be announced 6:20pm Thursday. See the Team Tips for those games here.
Barrass likely to return for Dogs clash | 00:56
ROUND 13 TEAMS AND FIXTURE (All times AEST)
ADELAIDE CROWS v GEELONG
Thursday June 4, 7:30pm at Adelaide Oval
CROWS
B: J.Worrell, J.Borlase, M.Michalanney
HB: R.Laird, J.Butts, W.Milera
C: D.Curtin, J.Dawson, B.Cook
HF: C.Ah Chee, T.Walker, J.Rachele
F: A.Neal-Bullen, D.Fogarty, B.Keays
FOLL: L.McAndrew, J.Peatling, J.Soligo
I/C: S.Berry, Z.Taylor, H.Hall-Kahan, L.Nankervis, T.Murray
EMG: R.O’Brien, L.Pedlar, N.Murray
In: T.Walker, H.Hall-Kahan
Out: R.Thilthorpe (Suspension), I.Rankine (Injured)
CATS
B: C.O’Sullivan, T.Stewart, J.Henry
HB: J.Kolodjashnij, Z.Guthrie, S.De Koning
C: T.Bruhn, B.Smith, M.O’Connor
HF: J.Cameron, S.Mannagh, O.Dempsey
F: P.Dangerfield, S.Neale, J.Martin
FOLL: M.Blicavs, M.Holmes, T.Atkins
I/C: J.Bowes, O.Mullin, O.Wiltshire, G.Miers, O.Henry
EMG: J.Worpel, M.Edwards, B.Close
In: J.Martin, J.Bowes, O.Wiltshire
Out: L.Humphries (Injured), B.Close (Omitted), M.Edwards (Managed)
HAWTHORN v WESTERN BULLDOGS
Friday June 5, 7:40pm at the MCG
HAWKS
TBA Thursday evening
BULLDOGS
TBA Thursday evening
NORTH MELBOURNE v FREMANTLE
Saturday June 6, 2:15pm at Hands Oval
KANGAROOS
TBA Thursday evening
DOCKERS
TBA Thursday evening
GOLD COAST SUNS v BRISBANE LIONS
Saturday June 6, 5:15pm at People First Stadium
SUNS
TBA Thursday evening
LIONS
TBA Thursday evening
WEST COAST EAGLES v PORT ADELAIDE
Saturday June 6, 8:15pm at Optus Stadium
EAGLES
TBA Thursday evening
POWER
TBA Thursday evening
SYDNEY SWANS v ST KILDA
Sunday June 7, 3:15pm at the SCG
SWANS
TBA Thursday evening
SAINTS
TBA Thursday evening
ESSENDON v CARLTON
Sunday June 7, 7:20pm at the MCG
BOMBERS
TBA Thursday evening
BLUES
TBA Thursday evening
COLLINGWOOD v MELBOURNE
Monday June 8, 3:15pm at the MCG
MAGPIES
TBA
DEMONS
TBA