AFL teams: Check out the latest selection news ahead of a massive Round 11
In a bid to find more firepower up forward Carlton coach Brendon Bolton has turned to former Collingwood forward Alex Fasolo for the clash against Essendon, while St Kilda captain Jarryn Geary will play in China. See all the Round 11 teams.
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Carlton recruit Alex Fasolo is back in the senior team for the first time since Round 2 as the Blues look for their second win of the season against Essendon.
Fasolo, who crossed to the Blues from the Magpies as a free agent at the end of last year, has made a slow start to his career at his new club, kicking just two goals in his two games.
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He’s one of three changes, alongside Will Setterfield and forgotten midfielder Darcy Lang.
Essendon has been forced to make two changes for the clash at the MCG on Sunday after losing stars Dylan Shiel and Jake Stringer to hamstring injuries.
The pair have been replaced by Mark Baguley and Dylan Clarke.
Collingwood will welcome back bookends Jordan De Goey and Darcy Moore for the clash with Fremantle, but while Richmond welcomes back captain Trent Cotchin, he comes in at the expense of a young gun.
Collingwood’s quest for eight consecutive wins for the first time since Nathan Buckley’s 2012 coaching debut season has received a massive boost with the return of a trio of key players — De Goey, Moore and running machine Travis Varcoe.
But big forward Mason Cox remains on the sidelines, despite appearing to get through training.
De Goey and Moore have missed the past two weeks with shin and ankle injuries, while Varcoe sat out last week’s win over Sydney due to suspension.
Buckley was pleased with the way De Goey and Moore got through training yesterday, and can’t wait to have the two key bookends back in for the Magpies’ clash with the Dockers.
He said the Magpies’ run of victories — which is the best since his 2012 team reeled off 10 straight in 2012 — was pleasing, but he admitted there was still plenty of improvement.
“You don’t win when you’re not playing well because the competition’s fierce, but we don’t think we’re knocking it out of the park, either,” he said.
“We see that there’s plenty of improvement in us, but we’re pretty content that the way we’re backing up week after week.”
Luckless defender Matt Scharenberg will make his long-awaited return from a third knee reconstruction — two on one knee and one on the other — in the VFL on Sunday.
He received a massive roar of approval from teammates when it was announced he was playing.
“It’s been a long journey for a bloke like ‘Shaz’ who hasn’t played as much footy as he would’ve liked to over the time, but you can’t do anything about what’s gone,” Buckley said.
“He’s been pretty good about coming back to today and what he’s in control of and what he can impact.
“These are good times when you get to the end of a rehab and recovery, especially long ones, and players get the opportunity to get back and play.”
Cox will now have missed five games with an ankle injury.
The Saints are preparing for their clash with Port Adelaide in China, but got some extra good news with much-discussed recruit Dan Hannebery set to play his first VFL game
Tom Rockliff (hamstring) failed a fitness test in China and won’t play in the match, while Ryan Burton (hamstring) and Scott Lycett (adductor) will be right to go.
RIOLI DUMPED BY TIGERS
Premiership hero Rioli was squeezed out of Richmond’s revamped team as skipper Cotchin is set to make a welcome returns from injury in Friday night’s clash with North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium.
Rioli, 22, was overlooked in favour of a band of young Tigers cubs who have cemented their spots in recent weeks and now must win his way back through the VFL.
It’s the second time this year he has been overlooked for AFL selection.
After playing the first seven games, Rioli suffered a thigh injury in the loss to the Western Bulldogs. He was forced to return via one match in the VFL before having 13 disposals and kicking one goal in last week’s AFL Dreamtime clash with Essendon.
Rioli was one of three changes for tonight’s game, with Connor Menadue and Callum Coleman-Jones also casualties.
That trio has been replaced by Cotchin — back for his first game in 56 days — along with Ivan Soldo (back from suspension) and Dan Butler.
Cotchin’s return, and key forward Tom Lynch proving his fitness, has made a tough task for North Melbourne interim coach Rhyce Shaw even more arduous.
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Cotchin has shaken off a nagging hamstring issues which have kept him out of the team since being injured in Round 3.
“We were touch and go last week but we always had the North Melbourne game as our aim and he’s trained really well so we’re looking forward to welcoming him back,” Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said.
It’s the longest break from playing the resilient midfielder has had in a decade, but Hardwick says he will be right to go as the Tigers look to make it four wins on end against Shaw’s Kangaroos.
“He’ll probably be a little bit rusty I reckon with regard to his touch in and around the contest because he’s missed six or seven weeks but we just love his physicality and ability to run and cover ground,” Hardwick said of his skipper.
“He’ll get better as the game goes on.”
Lynch ended the game last week on the bench after suffering calf soreness, but is right to go.
Shaw had an easy week at selection, making no changes to the team that scored an emotional win over Western Bulldogs in Brad Scott’s farewell game as coach.
SWANS PICK MENZEL FOR DEBUT AGAINST OLD CLUB
Daniel Menzel will finally make his long awaited debut for the Sydney Swans tomorrow — against his former employers.
Off season groin surgery put paid to hopes of making an instant impact in attack but all the hard work in rehab has paid off and the 27-year-old gets the nod to face Geelong.
Menzel, selected by the Cats with the 17th pick of the 2009 draft, went on to make 73 appearances for Geelong, kicking 136 goals.
Swans coach John Longmire is delighted to unleash his summer recruit.
“It’s great that he gets his opportunity to pull on a Sydney Swans jumper at senior level for the first time,” he said.
“Regardless of who we were playing this weekend, his form last week (in the NEAFL competition), particularly in the second half, was good and gives us another option in our forward line.”
The Swans are further boosted by the return of the experienced Jarrad McVeigh after several weeks out with a quad injury.
Whatever the personnel, the challenge is a tough one for the Swans but Longmire is feeling positive.
“A great opportunity for our players to be able to go down there and play, at the moment, the best team in the competition,” he said.
Josh Kennedy is out with a knee injury while Jackson Thurlow makes way.
Across at the Giants Lachie Keefe comes into the mix but Sam Taylor misses out with a cork.
“He struggled to train in our main session and for that reason he’s not going to take his place in the team,” Giants coach Leon Cameron said. “Whether it’s one week or two, we’ll keep addressing that and seeing how that plays out.
“On the flip side, Lachie Keefe’s played some really good footy, he’s been extremely unlucky to go out of the team but also he looks forward to his opportunity to play down in that key back position.”
Cameron has made it clear what he wants from his side — starting tomorrow against the Gold Coast Suns.
“The challenge for us is consistency, not just in game but also week-to-week,” he said. “We’ve gone two wins and one loss for most of the year so we’ve got to be able to consistently put performances together and get more wins a row, starting this week.”
FAGAN SHARPENS KNIFE ON HAWKS
Brisbane have again adopted a horses for courses strategy to select a team to take on Hawthorn at the Gabba on Saturday night.
The Hawks were the only side Brisbane beat twice last season and coach Chris Fagan has been credited with using his knowledge of his former club to device the perfect plan to defeat them.
Fagan and his match committee have made sweeping changes to the side that lost to Fremantle by a point in Perth on Sunday.
Josh Walker and Mitch Hinge have been dropped while Ryan Lester has a minor quad strain and Oscar McInerney has been given the weekend off to attend a funeral.
Lester is expected to only miss one week.
Hinge could consider himself a little unlucky having made a good impression in is two games but Brisbane were beaten up around the ball by the Dockers in the final quarter and Fagan has opted for a couple of hard heads.
Rhys Mathieson returns from suspension, Nick Robertson get another crack in the seniors while ruckman Archie Smith and utility Ben Keays are in for their first game of the season.
Walker may be a victim of the lack of a suitable match-up with Hawthorn favouring a smaller more mobile forward line this season.
The Hawks have recalled young key forward Mitchell Lewis but former captain Jarryd Roughead remains in the VFL side.
Walker was the best player in the Lions’ stunning victory over the Hawks in Launceston last year and started this season in terrific form.
His form has not been as solid in the past month and he was left out for match-up purposes against the Bulldogs in round eight.
Jack Gunston has been the key target in attack for the Hawks of late and is coming off a six goal haul against Port Adelaide last week.
His obvious match-up is Darcy Gardiner.
Harris Andrews, who is back in the form that saw him selected in the All Australian squad last season, would likely take Lewis or the resting ruckman.
Brisbane could be exposed for height if the Hawks played Jonathan Ceglar, Lewis and Gunston all in the attacking fifty and Walker is an emergency in case they have a late change of heart.
The more likely scenario is Daniel McStay is swung into defence if the Hawks’ height becomes an issue.
It would leave Brisbane short of marking targets in their forward fifty with neither Smith or veteran Stefan Martin known for their forward craft.
McInerny had endured a quiet few weeks after a solid start to the year but bounced back against Fremantle where he took a strong grab deep in attack.
ROUND 11 TEAMS
North Melbourne v Richmond, Marvel Stadium Friday 7.50pm
KANGAROOS
B: Williams, Thompson, Pittard
HB: Atley, Tarrant, Macmillan
C: Dumont, Anderson, Polec
HF: Ziebell, Wood, Simpkin
F: Larkey, Brown, Thomas
Followers: Goldstein, Cunnington, Higgins
Interchange: Davies-Uniacke, McDonald, Turner, Zurhaar
Emergencies: Taylor, Hall, Hayden, Campbell
IN: Nil
OUT: Nil
TIGERS
B: Garthwaite, Astbury, Grimes
HB: Broad, Edwards, Houli
C: Ellis, Prestia, McIntosh
HF: Higgins, Castagna, Butler
F: Martin, Lynch, Balta
Followers: Soldo, Cotchin, Vlastuin
Interchange: Stack, Baker, Bolton, Caddy
Emergencies: Coleman-Jones, Rioli, Graham, Menadue
IN: Butler, Soldo, Cotchin
OUT: Rioli, Coleman-Jones, Menadue
Collingwood v Fremantle, MCG Saturday 1.45pm
MAGPIES
B: Maynard, Roughead, Greenwood
HB: Crisp, Moore, Howe
C: Phillips, Pendlebury, Mayne
HF: Thomas, Reid, Hoskin-Elliott
F: Stephenson, Mihocek, De Goey
Followers: Grundy, Sidebottom, Treloar
Interchange: Beams, Brown, Aish, Varcoe
Emergencies: Wills, Quaynor, Daicos, Madgen
IN: Moore, De Goey, Varcoe
OUT: Madgen, Wills, Wells
DOCKERS
B: Hamling, Pearce, Ryan
HB: Hughes, Wilson, Bewley
C: Hill, Fyfe, Langdon
HF: Cerra, Cox, Conca
F: Walters, Hogan, Maters
Followers: Lobb, Tucker, Mundy
Interchange: Duncan, Brayshaw, Blakely, Switkowski
Emergencies: Jones, Crowden, Logue, McCarthy
IN: Nil
OUT: Nil
GWS Giants v Gold Coast, Giants Stadium Saturday 1.45pm
GIANTS
B: Kennedy, Haynes, Davis
HB: Shaw, Keeffe, Whitfield
C: Tomlinson, Hopper, Finlayson
HF: Perryman, Cameron, Deledio
F: Greene, Himmelberg, Reid
Followers: Mumford, Coniglio, Taranto
Interchange: Daniels, Kelly, Cumming, de Boer
Emergencies: Hately, Bonar, Simpson, Lloyd
IN: Keeffe
OUT: Taylor
SUNS
B: Murdoch, Burgess, Ballard
HB: Joyce, Hombsch, Weller
C: Horlin-Smith, Martin, Powell
HF: Lukosius, Wright, Corbett
F: MacPherson, Sexton, Holman
Followers: Witts, Swallow, Bowes
Interchange: Fiorini, Miles, King, Schoenfeld
Emergencies: Brodie, Day, McLennan, Nutting
IN: Horlin-Smith, Schoenfeld
OUT: Harbrow, Ainsworth
Geelong v Sydney, GMHBA Stadium Saturday 4.35pm
CATS
B: Kolodjashnij, Tuohy, Stewart
HB: Blicavs, Taylor, O’Connor
C: Dangerfield, Kelly, Duncan
HF: Rohan, Ratugolea, Hawkins
F: Atkins, Dahlhaus, Miers
Followers: Stanley, C.Guthrie, Selwood
Interchange: Henry, Clark, Parsons, Parfitt
Emergencies: Fort, Smith, Fogarty, Bews
IN: Dangerfield, Ratugolea
OUT: Fort, Ablett
SWANS
B: Melican, Rampe, Mills
HB: McVeigh, Aliir, Lloyd
C: Heeney, Hewett, Florent
HF: Papley, Reid, Blakey
F: McCartin, Franklin, Hayward
Followers: Sinclair, Parker, Dawson
Interchange: Fox, O’Riordan, Clarke, Menzel
Emergencies: Thurlow, Knoll, Ronke, Rowbottom
IN: McVeigh, Menzel
OUT: Kennedy, Thurlow
Brisbane Lions v Hawthorn, Gabba Saturday 7.25pm
LIONS
B: Hodge, Andrews, Rich
HB: Witherden, Gardiner, Answerth
C: Robinson, Neale, McCluggage
HF: Rayner, Hipwood, McCarthy
F: Cameron, McStay, Taylor
Followers: Martin, Zorko, Lyons
Interchange: Keays, Robertson, Mathieson, Smith
Emergencies: Christensen, Walker, Allison, Cutler
IN: Keays, Robertson, Mathieson, Smith
OUT: Walker, Hinge, Lester, McInerney
HAWKS
B: O’Brien, Frawley, Burgoyne
HB: Stratton, Sicily, Hardwick
C: Scully, Shiels, Henderson
HF: Breust, Gunston, Puopolo
F: Wingard, Ceglar, Impey
Followers: Pittonet, Worpel, O’Meara
Interchange: Glass, Cousins, Lewis, Smith
Emergencies: Morrison, Brand, Jones, Moore
IN: Lewis, Smith
OUT: Scrimshaw, Morrison
Melbourne v Adelaide, TIO Stadium (Darwin), Saturday 7.40pm
DEMONS
B: Hibberd, Frost, Wagner
HB: Hore, O.McDonald, Hunt
C: Brayshaw, Viney, Baker
HF: Jones, T.McDonald, Petracca
F: Garlett, Smith, Harmes
Followers: Gawn, Hannan, Oliver
Interchange: Salem, Spargo, Stretch, Fritsch
Emergencies: Jordon, Kennedy-Harris, Weideman, Wagner
IN: Hibberd, Hannan, Salem
OUT: Lockhart, Petty, Wagner
CROWS
B: Brown, Talia, Hartigan
HB: Smith, Keath, Laird
C: Milera, B.Crouch, Atkins
HF: Seedsman, Walker, Lynch
F: Murphy, Jenkins, Betts
Followers: O’Brien, Gibbs, Sloane
Interchange: Greenwood, Gallucci, Kelly, Ellis-Yolmen
Emergencies: Knight, Mackay, Jones, Himmelberg
IN: Lynch, Jenkins, Gibbs
OUT: Knight, Himmelberg, Jones
St Kilda v Port Adelaide, Jiangwan Stadium (Shanghai), Sunday 2.20pm
SAINTS
B: McKenzie, Brown, Savage
HB: Wilkie, Battle, Geary
C: Long, Ross, Newnes
HF: Billings, Bruce, Sinclair
F: Kent, Membrey, Parker
Followers: Marshall, Steele, Gresham
Interchange: Dunstan, Phillips, Young, Marsh
IN: Geary
OUT: Acres
POWER
B: Burton, Clurey, Houston
HB: Jonas, Howard, Byrne-Jones
C: Duursma, R.Gray, Amon
HF: Farrell, Westhoff, Motlop
F: S.Gray, Ryder, Rozee
Followers: Lycett, Powell-Pepper, Boak
Interchange: Lienert, Butters, Bonner, Broadbent
IN: Burton, Lycett, Bonner
OUT: Rockliff, Ladhams, Frampton
Essendon v Carlton, MCG Sunday 3.20pm
BOMBERS
B: Francis, Hooker, Hurley
HB: McKenna, Ambrose, Saad
C: Redman, Merrett, McDonald-Tipungwuti
HF: Zaharakis, Laverde, Begley
F: Parish, McKernan, McGrath
Followers: Bellchambers, Langford, Heppell
Interchange: McNiece, Guelfi, Clarke, Baguley
IN: Clarke, Baguley
OUT: Stringer, Shiel
BLUES
B: Marchbank, Casboult, Stocker
HB: Plowman, Weitering, Newman
C: Gibbons, Cripps, Cuningham
HF: Silvagni, McKay, Walsh
F: S.Petrevski-Seton, C.Curnow, Fisher
Followers: Kreuzer, Kennedy, E.Curnow
Interchange: Fasolo, Lang, Dow, Setterfield
IN: Fasolo, Lang, Setterfield
OUT: Simpson, Thomas, McGovern
West Coast v Western Bulldogs, Perth Stadium Sunday 5.20pm
EAGLES
B: Hurn, Schofield, Duggan
HB: Sheppard, McGovern, Jetta
C: Cripps, Shuey, Gaff
HF: Petruccelle, Darling, Sheed
F: Ryan, Kennedy, Rioli
Followers: Vardy, Yeo, Redden
Interchange: Waterman, Allen, Cole, Hutchings
IN: Jetta
OUT: Nelson
BULLDOGS
B: Johannisen, Trengove, Williams
HB: Daniel, Cordy, Wood
C: Hunter, Liberatore, Smith
HF: Suckling, Gardner, Lloyd
F: Bontempelli, Naughton, Gowers
Followers: English, Dunkley, Macrae
Interchange: McLean, Lipinski, Dale, La.Young
IN: Gardner, Gowers, La.Young
OUT: Crozier, Richards, Wallis
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