Lachie Whitfield will return to the senior side as one of three changes for the GIANTS’ huge clash with Collingwood at Spotless Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Whitfield will play his first game of the season after serving a six-month suspension for breaching AFL rules.
Coach Leon Cameron has full faith in the 22-year-old to have an immediate impact at AFL level.
“He’s had a really good training block as we know, over the last 12 weeks,” Cameron said.
“He’s running fit, he’s as close to match fitness as he can get without playing a match.
“We’re confident that he can get through a game and we feel as though he can add some value coming straight back into the team.”
As revealed earlier on Thursday afternoon, former carpenter Daniel Lloyd will make his AFL debut after 18 months on the club’s rookie list.
“It’s a great story to have him make his debut at 25,” said Cameron.
“He had a little crack at it as a Western Bulldogs NSW Scholarship player about seven or eight years ago but it didn’t work out.
“Mark McVeigh saw a lot of good in him and thought we should give him an opportunity and we have. He’s really progressed in the last year and a half and thoroughly deserves his chance.
“He’s really hard at it, he kicks the ball well and his tackle pressure is something that we need so we look forward to seeing him play his first game.”
INSIDE THE GIANTS: DANIEL LLOYD TO DEBUT
The other inclusion is another former rookie in Sam Reid, who returns to the side for his sixth game this season after missing last week’s clash with St Kilda with a slight hamstring strain.
Adam Kennedy goes out of the side with the season-ending knee injury he suffered at Etihad Stadium last Friday night while second-year midfielder Jacob Hopper also misses the round eight clash after having surgery on a broken finger, which will sideline him for the next six weeks.
Young midfielder Matt Kennedy has been omitted and will line up in the GIANTS Reserves’ NEAFL clash against Aspley at Blacktown International Sportspark on Saturday morning.
The GIANTS return to Sydney this weekend to take on Collingwood at Spotless Stadium at 4.35pm on Saturday afternoon. Click here for tickets.
Round 8
GIANTS v Collingwood
Saturday, May 13 at 4.35pm
Spotless Stadium
GIANTS Team
FB: Zac Williams, Adam Tomlinson, Harry Himmelberg
HB: Nathan Wilson, Phil Davis, Tom Scully
C: Sam Reid, Stephen Coniglio, Heath Shaw
HF: Devon Smith, Jeremy Cameron, Dylan Shiel
FF: Steve Johnson, Jonny Patton, Rory Lobb
RR: Shane Mumford, Josh Kelly, Callan Ward
Interchange: Daniel Lloyd, Aidan Corr, Lachie Whitfield, Tim Taranto
In: Daniel Lloyd (new - pick 26, 2016 Rookie Draft), Lachie Whitfield, Sam Reid
Out: Adam Kennedy (knee), Jacob Hopper (finger), Matt Kennedy (omitted)
Emergencies: Matt Kennedy, Harry Perryman, Dawson Simpson
