The teams are in for the two Friday matches in Round 5 of the Smithy's VFL.

GWS Giants utility Isaac Cumming will make his comeback from a hamstring injury when the Giants take on North Melbourne at Blacktown International Sports Park today.

Cumming was hurt during the pre-season but was originally only expected to miss the Opening Round game against Collingwood, but the delay has stretched out by an extra six weeks as the Giants surged into AFL premiership favouritism.

He comes into the VFL line-up alongside the experienced Tom McCaffrey and youngster Taine Moraschi, with Darcy Jones having made an eye-catching AFL debut last night and Isaac Hughes out with concussion.

The Kangaroos regain key forward Tyler Sellers from an AFL stint and defender Louis Butler alongside Tom Cappellari and Hamish Murphy, but they will be without the promoted Hugh Greenwood and AFL debutant Riley Hardeman, while dangerous goalkicker Sam Lowson was unavailable to make the flight.

Luckless Frankston recruit Taj Campbell-Farrell will finally make his long-awaited Smithy’s VFL debut when the Dolphins attempt to climb into the top four against a rejuvenated Coburg at Kinetic Stadium tonight.

Campbell-Farrell, 19, captained the Dandenong Stingrays in 2022 and won the Coates Talent League’s Morrish Medal despite carrying a foot injury throughout most of the season.

He joined Williamstown last year after but couldn’t shake that injury and several others, failing to play a game for the Seagulls before deciding to return closer to home with the Dolphins this year.

He has been made to wait for his opportunity, but played well and kicked a goal last Saturday to help his home club Rye break a 22-match Mornington Peninsula league losing streak by beating Hastings, and Frankston coach Jackson Kornberg has finally given him the nod.

Campbell-Farrell is one of three changes to the Dolphins team that beat Northern Bullants last Friday night, with Joe Lloyd named for his season bow after a false start last week and Kyle Stainthorpe was recalled after one week out of the team.

Captain Trent Mynott is the key out after suffering a hamstring injury, while Ollie Moran and late inclusion Harrison Jones missed out.

The Lions smashed their own losing streak last week, ending a 23-game, 630-day wait to sing the song with their first victory over Collingwood in 12 years and they will head to the Peninsula brimming with confidence but without their best player so far this year, with Footscray recruit Hugo Bromell serving a one-match suspension for rough conduct from that win, with Max Kennedy returning to the team in his place.

All matches in the 2024 Smithy’s VFL and VFLW seasons will be live streamed free via the AFL website, AFL Live Official App and VFL App.

Smithy’s VFL broadcast partner, the Seven Network, will broadcast select matches live and free on the Seven Network in Victoria and on 7plus nationally.

GWS GIANTS vs NORTH MELBOURNE

Friday 26 April, 1:05pm, Blacktown International Sportspark
Head-to-Head: 1-1; At BISP: GWS 1-0; Streak: North Melbourne 1; Last Time: North Melbourne 14.12 96 def GWS 6.8 44 (June 11, 2023, Arden Street Oval)

GWS GIANTS
B: L. Keeffe (25), R. Hebron (47), N. Haynes (19)
HB: J. Fahey (34), W. Derksen (45), J. Fonti (37)
C: C. Hamilton (43), N. Quigg (54), I. Cumming (13)
HF: R. Angwin (9), M. Harms (60), T. McMullin (31)
F: N. Madden (41), M. Gruzewski (35), T. Moraschi (57)
R: B. Preuss (11), H. Rowston (24), C. Stone (18)
INT: J. Bowne (59), G. Varagiannis (56), T. McCaffrey (52), J. Creighton (51), E. Williams (53)*
EMG: S. House (66), E. Grace (69), J. Rush (68), K. Gabila (62), W. Clark (58)

IN: I. Cumming, T. McCaffrey, T. Moraschi
OUT: D. Jones (AFL), I. Hughes (concussion), W. Clark

NORTH MELBOURNE
B: J. Archer (34), T. Pink (32), J .Lienert (67)
HB: M. Bergman (27), B. Davis (50), B. George (33)
C: C. Downie (47), L. Shiels (14), L. Butler (49)
HF: R. Hansen (46), C. Taylor (5), D. Smith (72)
F: F. Maley (39), J. Stephenson (2), T. Sellers (36)
R: H. Free (45), B.  Stevens (65), J. Watkins (56)
INT: H. Murphy (51), T. Cappelari (61)*, T. Goad (22), N. Hodgson (58), C. Harrop (55)
EMG: B. Bath (52), J. Hope (54), C. James, T. O'Sullivan (57)

IN: L. Butler, T. Cappelari, H. Murphy, T. Sellers
OUT: H. Greenwood, R. Hardeman (AFL), S. Lowson (unavailable), L. Wynd

FRANKSTON vs COBURG

Friday 26 April, 7:35pm, Kinetic Stadium
Head-to-Head: Frankston 39-38; At Kinetic Stadium: Frankston 23-12; Streak: Frankston 1; Last Time: Frankston 9.12 66 def Coburg 4.6 30 (August 12, 2023, Piranha Park)

FRANKSTON
B: T. Milne (15), K. Stainthorpe (29), T. Barlow (3)
HB: J. Lloyd (18), J. Smith (25), J. Voss (13)
C: N. Burke (17), J. Newnes (14), G. Grey (6)
HF: T. Murphy (5), A. Grant (19), C. Riley (22)
F: C. Nayna (9), N. Gown (1), M. Johnson (24)
R: H. Coe (16), T. Owens (7), S. Quirk (11)
INT: M. Williams (4), T. Campbell-Farrell (26), B. O'Leary (10), L. Riley (21), L. Reidy (2)
EMG: H. Jones (39), T. Marotta (30), O. Moran (28), A. McComb (20)

IN: T. Campbell-Farrell, J. Lloyd, K. Stainthorpe
OUT: T. Mynott (hamstring), H. Jones, O. Moran
NEW: Taj Campbell-Farrell, 19, Rye/Williamstown

COBURG
B: C. Beasley (8), J. Corigliano (2), R. Sturgess (9)
HB: I. Dammersmith (15), D. Toohey (33), L. Walker (25)
C: T. Rowland (31), M. Kennedy (24), L. Serong (17)
HF: B. Gillard (11), T. McKenzie (3), H. Brown (22)
F: C. Ernst (40), K. Weightman (26), W. Bella (16)
R: C. Keogh (29), J. Trudgeon (18), F. Gentile (4)
INT: R. Galvin (37), J. D'Intinosante (7), S. Grant (30), B. Rigoni (32), L. Bailey (1)
EMG: D. Johnston (12), B. Cameron (13), D. Owen (28), D. Kalpakis (38), H. Nolan (6), G. Belcher (34)

IN: M. Kennedy
OUT: H. Bromell (suspended)

UMPIRES

GWS GIANTS v NORTH MELBOURNE
FIELD: 10.Chris Brackenrig, 16.Joe O’Brien, 48.Brad Stewart. BOUNDARY: Sam Button, Ben Duce, Charles Powell. GOAL: Nick Ford, Morgan Lee.

FRANKSTON v COBURG
FIELD: 1.Andrew Talbot, 12.Connor Hawes, 13.Shamus Dundon. BOUNDARY: Reuben Dyer, Anthony Laughton, Greta Miller. GOAL: Callum Thornton, Joon-Yip Wong.