St .Kilda have recalled big guns Nick Dal Santo, Stephen Milne and Justin Koschitzke for Saturday night’s crunch AFL clash with North Melbourne at Gold Coast Stadium, Carrara.
Dal Santo and Milne were recalled last night after being dropped last weekend, while Koschitzke is set to return after a two-week layoff with a knee injury.
Not insignificantly, Milne, despite his run in the VFL, is the Saints’ leading goal-kicker this year, while Koschitzke, despite his layoff, ranks No.3 in goals behind Milne and captain Nick Riewoldt.
But, in a heavy blow, former skipper Lenny Hayes, the Saints’ No.1 ball-winner this year, was ruled out with a minor hamstring complaint suffered in the first quarter of the Saints’ win over Fremantle last Friday night.
North, coming off a confidence-boosting win over ladder-leaders Hawthorn, have made just one change at selection tonight – Sam Power will return from a one-week injury layoff at the expense of Ed Lower.
The ninth-placed Saints, making their first AFL appearance at Carrara since 1989, sit half a game behind the eighth-placed Kangaroos on the AFL ladder and can jump into the top eight with a win.
Saturday night’s game, the second of three AFL fixtures on the Gold Coast this year, will feature locals –Riewoldt and teammate Sam Gilbert, who will play their first official AFL game at Carrara, and the Roos’ David Hale, who starred in his side’s six-point win over Carrara six weeks ago.
It also will turn out four other Queenslanders – the Saints’ Max Hudghton and David Armitage, and the Roos’ Gavin Urquhart and Daniel Pratt.
Teams are:
ST.KILDA
B: Sean Dempster, Max Hudghton, Jason Gram;
HB: Brendon Goddard, Sam Gilbert, Sam Fisher;
C: Andrew McQualter, Nick DalSanto, Robert Eddy;
HF: Robert Harvey, Nick Riewoldt, Charlie Gardiner;
F: Clint Jones, Justin Koschitzke, David Armitage;
R: Steven King, Luke Ball, Leigh Montagna.
INT: James Gwilt, Jason Blake, Stephen Milne, Jarryd Allen.
EMERG: Jarryn Geary, Aaron Fiora, Ben McEvoy.
HB: Brendon Goddard, Sam Gilbert, Sam Fisher;
C: Andrew McQualter, Nick DalSanto, Robert Eddy;
HF: Robert Harvey, Nick Riewoldt, Charlie Gardiner;
F: Clint Jones, Justin Koschitzke, David Armitage;
R: Steven King, Luke Ball, Leigh Montagna.
INT: James Gwilt, Jason Blake, Stephen Milne, Jarryd Allen.
EMERG: Jarryn Geary, Aaron Fiora, Ben McEvoy.
IN: Dal Santo,Koschitzke, Milne.
OUT: Lenny Hayes (hamstring), McEvoy, Geary (omitted).
OUT: Lenny Hayes (hamstring), McEvoy, Geary (omitted).
NORTH MELBOURNE
B: Michael Firrito, Shannon Watt, Daniel Pratt;
HB: Brady Rawlings, Josh Gibson, Gavin Urquhart;
C: Corey Jones, Adam Simpson, Matt Riggio;
HF: Lindsay Thomas, Lachlan Hansen, Leigh Harding;
F: David Hale, Nathan Thompson, Brent Harvey;
R: Drew Petrie, Daniel Wells, Daniel Harris.
INT: Sam Power, Shannon Grant, Matt Campbell, Alan Obst.
HB: Brady Rawlings, Josh Gibson, Gavin Urquhart;
C: Corey Jones, Adam Simpson, Matt Riggio;
HF: Lindsay Thomas, Lachlan Hansen, Leigh Harding;
F: David Hale, Nathan Thompson, Brent Harvey;
R: Drew Petrie, Daniel Wells, Daniel Harris.
INT: Sam Power, Shannon Grant, Matt Campbell, Alan Obst.
EMERG: Blake Grima, Levi Greenwood, Scott McMahon.
IN: Power.
OUT: Ed Lower.
OUT: Ed Lower.
