EXCITING forwardLance Franklin is back for the Hawks against Collingwood for this Sunday’ssell-out twilight match at Telstra Dome.
Hawthorn’s leadinggoal kicker has been named at centre half-forward after being a late withdrawalbefore last round’s massive 100-point victory against Carlton.
Tasmanian recruitand dynamic forward Mitch Thorp and agile playmaker Beau Muston have been namedfor their first matches in an extended 25-man squad.
It could be a caseof fourth-time lucky for Muston, 19, who has been selected as an emergency onthree previous occasions.
Franklin, boasting 35 goals for the season, pulled upsore after Hawthorn’s round 11 outing against Sydney.
Hawthorn footballoperations manager Mark Evans said the club was determined to take no riskswith their prized forward.
“He was close toplaying against Carlton,he pulled up tight, but we decided to take a conservative approach,” Evanssaid.
Chuffed about beingsecond on the AFL ladder, the Hawks will take on fourth-placed Collingwood in acauldron-like atmosphere at Telstra Dome.
The Pies will bewithout suspended forward and recent Hawks’ nemesis Anthony Rocca and havechosen youngster and first-gamer Brent Reid to fill the void.
“Collingwood have aterrific ability to cover players who are out – and cover them well,’” Evanssaid.
“It’s great to seeso much young talent from both sides out on the ground.
“This match is agreat challenge for us. The challenge for us is to start this second [half ofthe] season as well as we started the first.
“We’re coming upagainst a very good team and a team that is vying to take our spot on theladder.”
Recruited from Tasmania,Thorp, 18 and 194cm, 86kg, was the Hawks’ No.6 selection in the NAB AFL 2006National Draft.
Muston, meanwhile, spent last season recovering from aserious knee injury sustained before the 2005 NAB AFL National Draft. He hadfurther surgery in late 2005.
“Both have beenplaying well at Box Hill Hawks,” Evans said.
“Mitch is prettystrong in a marking contest and doesn’t mind contact in a contest.
“Beau’s a very agilesix-foot-two-type player with great runs of speed and he’s really exciting whenhe gets the ball. He can play across half-back, on the wing and at half-forward.”
In injury news, captainRichard Vandenberg is expected to return to Box Hill Hawks in three weeks.
Recuperating fromshoulder surgery, the midfielder re-joined skills training this week and has a goodrange of movement in the joint. He can participate in all ball work except heavytackling.
Mark Williams is offcrutches and begins jogging next week. The sharp-shooter has been walking,cycling, boxing and swimming.
Tim Clarke, recoveringfrom a nasty achilles injury, is progressing well and is expected to startrunning soon. He, like Williams, has not been ruled out for the 2007 season.
Ben Dixon, who hasmanaged eight games this season, has missed the past two with a hamstring injury.He is expected to resume in a fortnight.
The Hawks are takingno risks with the forward, who is in the twilight of his career.
“Where we’re and he’sat, it gives us time to get him right for the rest of the season so he can playout the year without fear of injury,” Evans said.
The Team:
B: CampbellBrown, Stephen Gilham, Brent Guerra
HB: Rick Ladson, Trent Croad, Brad Sewell
C: Grant Birchall, Sam Mitchell, Joel Smith
HF: Jordan Lewis, Lance Franklin, Ben McGlynn
F: Chance Bateman, Jarryd Roughead, Tim Boyle
FOLL: Robert Campbell, Luke Hodge, Shane Crawford
I/C (from): Xavier Ellis, Danny Jacobs, Michael Osborne, Beau Muston,Simon Taylor, Mitchell Thorp, ClintonYoung
In: Franklin, Muston, Thorp
Out: -
