Reigning Kevin Sheedy Medallist Toby Greene returns from suspension as the GIANTS get set to face Richmond at home at Spotless Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The 2016 All Australian was an automatic selection after sitting on the sidelines for two weeks for striking Bulldogs Caleb Daniel back in round six.
“It’s obviously great to have him back, he’s been missed in the last two weeks no doubt,” said coach Leon Cameron.
“He’s a contested ball player that wins his fair share of contested ball centre forward but no doubt he hits the scoreboard as well and provides another target for us down in the forward line.
“He’s been impatient over the last two weeks and we’re looking forward to his return.”
Also into the side to face the Tigers comes debutant Harry Perryman with the 18-year-old GIANTS Academy product set to line up in the backline.
“Harry can play in the middle and also he can play down back,” Cameron said.
“He’s probably more likely to be down back but there’s no doubt throughout the game he’ll probably end up in the middle of the ground as a midfielder.
“He’s a composed player, he’s tough, he puts his head over the footy. He wins the ball on the ground so we’re looking forward to seeing how he fares in his first game.”
From the tiny town of Collingullie in southern NSW, Perryman becomes the second player from the country location, following in the footsteps of teammate Matt Kennedy.
Vice-captain Stephen Coniglio goes out of the side after surgery on Monday on the troublesome ankle injury that has limited the star midfielder to just two games this season.
Also missing the round nine clash is young defender Harry Himmelberg who has been omitted for structural reasons.
“We already have three talls in our backline so Harry is probably a bit unlucky,” Cameron said.
“Richmond have got a number of small forwards who are in really good form so we’ve probably opted more for a smaller defender over a taller defender.”
The Tigers started the season with a bang, winning their first five games before falling to Adelaide, the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle in the last three weeks.
But coach Cameron is taking nothing for granted when coming up against a side who have never lost at the GIANTS’ home ground in Sydney.
“They’re in really good form, they lost to the Dogs by five and the Dockers by a couple of points so they’ve had a really good year thus far and we’ve had some really good duels with them,” he said.
“It’s going to be a game, like most games these days, that will be a goal or two the difference in the end. We look forward to the challenge and no doubt they do too.”
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Round Nine
GIANTS v Richmond
Saturday May 20, 4.35pm
Spotless Stadium
Team
LATE CHANGE: Devon Smith (knee) replaced by Matt de Boer (GIANTS debut) on Friday
FB: Nathan Wilson, Adam Tomlinson, Aidan Corr
HB: Heath Shaw, Phil Davis, Zac Williams
C: Matt de Boer, Dylan Shiel, Tom Scully
HF: Rory Lobb, Jonny Patton, Toby Greene
FF: Steve Johnson, Jeremy Cameron, Sam Reid
RR: Shane Mumford, Josh Kelly, Callan Ward
Interchange: Daniel Lloyd, Harry Perryman, Lachie Whitfield, Tim Taranto
In: Harry Perryman (new - pick 14, 2016 NAB AFL Draft), Toby Greene, Matt de Boer (formerly Fremantle, pick 58 2016 NAB AFL Draft)
Out: Stephen Coniglio (ankle), Harry Himmelberg (omitted), Devon Smith (knee)
Emergencies: Matt Kennedy, Harry Himmelberg, Isaac Cumming
