West Adelaide onballer Kaine Stevens gets SANFL permit to front Sturt in trial

WEST Adelaide will be without gun onballer Kaine Stevens for the first two rounds after being suspended, but he will be in the Bloods line-up for the trial against Sturt.

Kaine Stevens will miss the opening two rounds of the SANFL season. Picture: Brenton Edwards/AAP

WEST Adelaide has gained a permit from the SANFL for suspended midfielder Kaine Stevens to front in the trial against Sturt at Richmond Oval on Friday night.

Stevens will miss the opening two rounds after pleading guilty to engaging in rough conduct with Norwood’s Alex Forster in a trial last week.

But Errin Wasley-Black will be a spectator for the trial following his four-game suspension after being found guilty at the SANFL tribunal on Tuesday night of striking Redlegs’ onballer Peter Bampton.

The incident was referred directly to the tribunal by the SANFL incident review panel.

Logan Hill will make his first appearance in the trials for the Bloods after overcoming a foot injury while defender Jake Wilson also returns.

Redlegs’ Caleb Edmead will face his former club Central District in a trial in Elizabeth on Friday night after accepting a reprimand with an early guilty plea for striking Wasley-Black.

The Redlegs will regain star onballer Matthew Panos for his first appearance of the trials, having had his pre-season disrupted by a small wrist fracture.

Damaging small forward Simon Phillips will start his comeback from another injury setback when he plays half the reserves trial.

However, there will be no Brady Dawe, Brad McKenzie, Anthony Wilson or Mitch Wilkins in the Redlegs line-up. Dawe has a minor groin issue, while McKenzie is battling to be available for the first round game against Sturt due to a knee problem.

Speedster Wilson will be sidelined for the first three rounds because of a broken foot and Wilkins could be missing for a similar period has he recovers from a shoulder injury.

The other game in the final round of trials is on Friday afternoon when Port Adelaide hosts Adelaide at Alberton Oval. The two teams will meet again at the same venue in the opening round on March 31.