GEELONG and Hawthorn fans heading to the MCG early on Easter Monday could be in for a treat as the Cats and Box Hill Hawks name a host of big names for their Smithy’s VFL curtain raiser.
The Hawks, who had a bye in Round 2 after upsetting the Swans in Sydney the week before, could have a posse of high-profile players in their lineup.
Their 18 Hawthorn-listed players including star forward Chad Wingard, who would be making his VFL debut and playing his first State league game since 2011 in the SANFL for Sturt if he was to take his place.
Fellow AFL emergencies Lachlan Bramble, Jacob Koschitzke and James Blanck have also been named by Box Hill, although at least one of those will instead be the AFL substitute.
Sam Butler, Josh Morris and Irishman Fionn O’Hara will also come into the Box Hill team, with other big names including Denver Grainger-Barras, draftees Josh Weddle, Ned Long and Henry Hustwaite and VFL-listed stars Callum Brown, Ed Phillips and Callum Brown.
Damian Mascitti and Stu Horner are in the emergency list, as is Round 1 hero Jed Rule, meaning it wouldn’t surprise to see as many as three changes to the selected team on Monday morning.
The Cats have selected 12 AFL-listed players as they aim to bounce back from last week’s 107-point hiding at the hands of Gold Coast.
Off-season recruits Tanner Bruhn and Ollie Henry have been named in the early game alongside Cooper Whyte, while James Willis will make his first appearance of the season.
Bruhn, Henry and Brandan Parfitt are AFL emergencies but could all play in the VFL given fellow standby, ruckman Jon Ceglar, has not been selected to play at 11.45am.
Geelong early birds can have another look at No. 8 pick Jhye Clark, father-son Osca Riccardi, Sam Simpson and Ollie Dempsey, plus VFL-listed guns Jye Chalcraft, Brayden Ham and Harry Benson.
All matches in the 2023 Smithy’s VFL and rebel VFLW seasons will be live streamed free via the AFL website and AFL Live Official App.
Smithy’s VFL broadcast partner, the Seven Network, will show one weekly game live and free on the Seven Network in Victoria and on 7Plus nationally.
GEELONG CATS vs BOX HILL HAWKS
Monday 10 April, 11:45am, MCG
Head-to-head: Box Hill 20-10. At MCG: Never Met. Streak: Box Hill 6
GEELONG CATS
B: C. Whyte (11), B. Van De Heuvel (55), B. Lloyd (74)
HB: J. Chalcraft (57), D. Capiron (50), O. Murdoch (31)
C: M. Knevitt (10), B. Parfitt (3), O. Dempsey (28)
HF: T. Clohesy (40), A. Byrne (81), S. Simpson (37)
F: H. Benson (59), O. Henry (36), B. Ham (47)
R: W. Christie (71), J. Clark (13), T. Bruhn (4)
INT: T. Feely (68), T. Lewis (66)*, J. Willis (20), H. Lucas (82), O. Riccardi (21)
EMG: B. Worme (63), M.Lloyd (52), T. Smith (49), D. Schilder (51), J. Evans (65), R. Eyers (75)
IN: T. Bruhn, O. Henry, J Willis, C. Whyte
OUT: M. Cousins (injured), J. Kolodjashnij, M. Lloyd, S. Neale (injured)
BOX HILL HAWKS
B: B. Macdonald (42), D. Grainger-Barras (24), F. O'Hara (34)
HB: J. Morris (35), J. Blanck (36), S. Mitchell (40)
C: J. Weddle (37), H. Hustwaite (44), N. Long (27)
HF: S. Butler (30), C. Wingard (20), J. O'Sullivan (43)
F: J. Koschitzke (23), M. Ramsden (38), J. Bennetts (41)
R: M. Lynch (18), C. Stephens (21), L. Bramble (16)
INT: E. Stanley (65)*, J. Thorpe (57), C. Porter (55), E Phillips (60), C. Brown (66)
EMG: D. Mascitti (50), J.Rule (59), M. Hall (61), S. Horner (62), L. Coghlan (74)
IN: J. Blanck, L. Bramble, S. Butler, J. Koschitzke, J. Morris, F. O'Hara, C. Wingard
OUT: T. Brockman (AFL), L. Coghlan, M. Hall, S. Horner, H. Morrison (AFL), J. Rule, J. Scrimshaw (AFL)
UMPIRES
FIELD: 2.Lachlan Coyne, 26.Jordyn Pearson, 27.Nick Jankovskis. BOUNDARY: Sam Beer, James Brayshaw, Corey Malcolm, Lachlan Menara. GOAL: Brendan Moloney, Jack Stammers.
