Shannon Cox, Alan Toovey and Brad Dick, all West Australians, will don the famous black and white stripes for the first time.
Veteran Shane Wakelin and last week’s first-gamer Daniel Nicholls have both been omitted.
Cox and Toovey both impressed as rookie-listed players in 2006 and were subsequently elevated to the senior list for the 2007 season, while Dick is the first the talented batch of youngsters from the 2006 AFL Draft to debut for the club.
Dick was taken with the club’s fourth selection, No.44 overall, in last year’s draft, and is an extremely quick midfielder with excellent skills who showed during the pre-season he can certainly win the football.
Adding significance to the fact that two players will make their debuts having come off the rookie list, is that Nick Maxwell, who was elevated off the rookie list in 2004, will play his 50th game for the club against the Tigers.
Maxwell has established himself as a fine player mainly in defence, but also up forward early in 2007, and is one of the most respected players at the club having been placed in the seven-man leadership group for this season.
Click here to read what Mick Malthouse had to say when he presented the three debutants to the media at Thursday’s press conference.
Collingwood
B: Lockyer, Prestigiacomo, Cox
HB: H.Shaw, Clement, R.Shaw
C: Pendlebury, Toovey, Thomas
HF: Maxwell, Cloke, Licuria
F: Swan, Rocca, Medhurst
Fol: Fraser, O’Bree, Dick
I/C: Richards, O’Brien, Burns, Davis
Emg: Nicholls, Wakelin, Iles
IN: Shannon Cox, Brad Dick, Alan Toovey
OUT: Ben Johnson (inj.), Shane Wakelin, Daniel Nicholls
Richmond
B: Newman, J.Bowden, Polak
HB: Raines, Gaspar, Moore
C: Polo, Johnson, Hyde
HF: Pettifer, Schulz, Deledio
F: Krakouer, Richardson, Tambling
FOLL: Simmonds, Tuck, Foley
I/C: Howat, Tivendale, Pattison, McGuane
EM: King, P.Bowden, Jackson
IN: Troy Simmonds
OUT: Patrick Bowden
Listen to this week's edition of the fans' match preview show, PIE NIGHT, with Conno and Driver - FREE - as the boys discuss the upcoming rivalry round clash. CLICK HERE.
