Selection: Five Changes Hop Into Arden Street
The Box Hill Hawks return to action off the bye with five changes to the side which defeated Coburg last time out.
Into the 23 for Saturday’s assignment against North Melbourne come marking forwards Calsher Dear & Mitch Lewis, running half-back Nathan Philactides and midfield duo Henry Hustwaite & Blake Simondson.
The addition of Lewis will be of particular interest to Hawks fans, with the big man to play his first minutes since rupturing his ACL last July against the Cats.
Dear is another who’ll be hoping to press his case for a senior re-call, having impressed with three goals in his last VFL hit-out three weekends ago at home to Frankston.
Zane Littlejohn loses the services of the smooth-moving Cam Mackenzie, but has been handed a very handy replacement in his engine room in the form of Henry Hustwaite.
Hustwaite has been one of the form players in the VFL this year, wracking up possessions and clearances at will in his seven appearances to date. The Hawks’ no.44 has put together a run of form which sees him sit second in the VFL Coaches’ MVP race, just seven votes adrift of Southport’s Jacob Dawson, who has played four more matches.
Developing VFL-listed players Nathan Philactides and Blake Simondson have also won re-calls on account of the omissions of Jack Scrimshaw and skipper Cal Porter, who both miss due to niggles picked up in the last couple of weeks.
Any changes to the selected 23 will be communicated prior to the first bounce – which is scheduled for 12:05pm at Arden Street.
Additions: M. Lewis, C. Dear, H. Hustwaite, N. Philactides, B. Simondson
Omissions: S. Frost, J. Scrimshaw, C. Mackenzie, J. Uhr-Henry, C. Porter
Squad: 2. M Lewis, 7. N Reeves, 20. F Maginness, 21. N Mraz, 22. L Breust, 27. W McCabe, 29. J Serong, 32. C Anderson, 35. C Dear, 36. J Blanck, 39. J Scaife, 41. M Hill, 42. B Macdonald, 44. H Hustwaite, 51. N Philactides, 53. K Declase, 54. L Ward, 58. T Bianco, 62. S Horner, 63. B Hicks, 65. E Stanley, 70. J Arundell, 74. B Simondson
Emergencies: 43. J Uhr-Henry, 56. J Currie, 59. A Stefanakis, 61. M Donohue, 68. D Wood, 75. G Julian, 76. T Farrer, 80. H Bidgood
