SANFL Round 11 teams: West Adelaide’s Mason Middleton quits to play with Imperials in Mildura

West Adelaide’s battles this season have taken another hit with a star forward opting to leave to club to play in the country. See all the teams for the second half of Round 11.

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Strong-marking forward Mason Middleton has made the surprise decision to quit West Adelaide and sign with Mildura club Imperials for the rest of the season.

Middleton met with the Bloods on Thursday and cited a need to regain his passion for the game for the move to the Victorian club.

It is a massive blow for the struggling Bloods to lose a member of the club’s 2015 premiership side.

While Middleton has battled to find form this season and has spent time in the reserves, he has huge potential and the ability to tear defences apart with his powerful pack marking.

“It is disappointing to lose someone of Mason’s talent,” Bloods football manager Andrew Marks said. “He joined us from Barmera and played with our under 18 side before playing seniors.”

Outgoing West forward Mason Middleton celebrates kicking a goal. Picture: Tom Huntley

Imperials is coached by former Bloods defender Adam Hartlett, who has been sidelined by his second Achilles injury in 12 months, and Middleton has signed with the club just days before the transfer window closes on June 30.

Veteran Bloods midfielder Chris Schmidt will make his first appearance since damaging his knee in round 6 when he fronts South Adelaide at Richmond Oval on Sunday.

Dallas Willsmore is also back in the side after missing two weeks because of a hamstring issue and Ken Karpany and Gibson Turner have been promoted to a 23-man squad.

“Chris has been training very well, while Ken has found some good form in the reserves,” Marks said.

The Panthers have included Emmanuel Irra, who has not played in the league side since round 6 due to a thigh injury, in an extended squad.

Sturt’s defence will be strengthened for the clash against Adelaide at Unley Oval on Saturday by the return of Byron Sumner from a broken jaw.

Hugo Munn looks set to get another chance at league level after being named at centre half forward for the Double Blues.

Sturt v Adelaide

Peter Motley Oval, Unley, Saturday, 2:10pm

Radio: 1629 SEN SA

Sturt

F: Greenslade, Patullo, J. Hone

HF: Riley, Munn, Sutcliffe

C: Pearce, Colquhoun, Crocker

HB: Stephens, Edmonds, Sumner

B: Illman, F. Evans, Carey

R: Fahey-Sparks, Slimming, Kirkwood

INT: M. Lochowiak, Penfold, Battersby, Thiele, M. Evans

IN: Thiele, Munn, Sumner

OUT: Coomblas

Reserves

T. Hone, Richards, Trenorden, Thornton, Laycock, Voss, Parker-Boers, Coomblas, How, Borlase, A. Lochowiak, Condon, Allan, Armiento, Crane, Hough, Weeks, Grivell, Mitchell, Wills.

Byron Sumner returns for Sturt. Picture: Sarah Reed

Adelaide

F: Strachan, Fogarty, Stengle

HF: Wright, Hunter, McAdam

C: Knight, Wilson, Mackay

HB: Sholl, Butts, McPherson

B: Hamill, Otten, Merrett

R: Jacobs, Poholke, Jones

INT: Boyle, Farrer, Hutchesson, Johnson, Latchford

IN: Boyle, Farrer, Hutchesson, Johnson, Latchford

OUT: Davis (AFL), Gibbs (AFL), Himmelberg (AFL)

North Adelaide v Port Adelaide

Prospect Oval, Saturday, 2:40pm

TV: Channel 7

North

F: Spina, Harvey, Hender

HF: Szekely, Verity, Jarman

C: Olekalns, Tropiano, Neagle

HB: Minervini, Smith, Allmond

B: Slee, C. Craig, Laurie

R: A. Barns, Thring, T. Schwarz

INT: Aldridge, Combe, Deep, Nixon

IN: A. Barns, Deep, Minervini

OUT: Clisby (hamstring), Ramsey (hamstring)

Alex Barns is back in ruck for the Roosters. Picture: Calum Robertson

Reserves

Neade, Wharton, Wohling, J. Schwarz, Miller, C. Barns, J. Craig, Osborne, Lower, Blair, Agorastos, Ginever, Rigney, Coleman-Oakes, Bowman, Langley, Flanagan, Marshall, Scott, Dinning, Robinson.

Port

F: Cox, Frampton, Hayes

HF: Davidson, Woodcock, Johnson

C: Mayes, Powell-Pepper, Westhoff

HB: Lienert, Frederick, Corcoran

B: Elsworthy, Grundy, Strange

R: Ryder, Hewett, Atley

INT: Appleton

IN: Westhoff, Powell-Pepper, Ryder, Lienert, Strange, Corcoran, Davidson, Appleton

OUT: Garner (AFL), Ebert (AFL), Dixon (AFL), Wines (AFL), Sutcliffe (AFL), McKenzie (AFL), Marshall (AFL)

West Adelaide v South Adelaide

City Mazda Stadium, Richmond, Sunday, 2:10pm

Radio: 1079 Life FM

West

F: G. Turner, Beech, Wasley-Black

HF: Karpany, Hupfeld, Anderson

C: Batley, P. Fairlie, Waite

HB: J. Evans, Keough, Levicki

B: Hill, Ryan, Dunkin

R: Parrella, H. Haysman, K. Stevens

INT: Willsmore, B. Turner, Schmidt, Pillion, Kirk

IN: Karpany, Schmidt, Willsmore, G. Turner

OUT: Osborn (work), Majok

Reserves

Agostino, Cleeland, R. Stevens, Inglis, Gallaway, Lynch, Wooldridge, L. Evans, Majok, Caruso, S. Bentley, Laube, Noonan, Morrish, Gutsche, C. Fairlie, May, Nield, Moore, J. Bentley, G. Haysman.

Emmanuel Irra has used the reserves to prove he had overcome a thigh injury. Picture: Brenton Edwards/AAP

South

F: Emery, Davis, Biemans

HF: Noble, Overall, Fitt

C: Sampson, Cross, Karpany

HB: Haines, Cailotto, Brown

B: Rose, Crabb, Summerton

R: McGree, Heaslip, Liddle

INT: Whittlesea, Schwarz, Irra, Loneragan, Bogle

IN: Irra, Cailotto

Reserves

Badger, Baker, Beenham, Coleman, Colwell, Davies, Elmes, Hoey, Juckers, Kappler, Kennedy, Lovering, Makoi, McKinnon, Milsom, Moffa, Snelling, Tucker, Whitbread, Wilkinson.