AFTER having his cheekbone accidently fractured by teammate Israel Folau, Greater Western Sydney's Tom Scully is poised to make his debut for the club when it takes on North Melbourne in Hobart this Sunday.
Scully is expected to join Luke Power and Dean Brogan in the team, which would be a significant boost in experience for the Kangaroos clash.
GWS was lacking some veteran bodies when it went down to the Swans by 63 points, but 32-year-old Power - who has been sidelined for four weeks with a hamstring injury - is also ready to return to the fray.
"It's just exciting. It's just the next phase of my life," Power said.
"It's a great next step for me and something I'm looking forward to.
"It'll be nice to get out there and give a bit of direction and help the guys.
"And just to play with them. One day I'll be saying to my kids that I played with a lot of these guys."
Power was asked how he felt Scully was tracking and he had nothing but praise for the 20-year-old, saying he should be judged "over the next 8-10 years because he'll go that distance and be a great player for this club".
Scully was disappointed to miss the club's first match, but expects to contest plenty more during his time in Sydney's west.
"It was a pretty historic event for the club and the AFL and not to be out there was disappointing," he said.
"But in the scheme of things it was only one game and it could've been a lot worse.
"I'm just looking forward to this week and hopefully it's the start of a really promising future here."
Power was also asked about the reported decision by the A-League to base a team in western Sydney from next season.
Rather than seeing it as a potential threat to the GWS fan base in one of soccer's traditional heartlands, Power welcomed the move.
"I heard that. It's always good to have competition," he said.
"And it's great that people of Western Sydney will have a choice of what sport to support."
2012 TOYOTA AFL Premiership Season ROUND 2
North Melbourne v GWS GIANTS
Sunday April 8, 1.10pm
BLUNDSTONE ARENA
Match information
Venue: Blundstone Arena, Bellerive, TAS
Gates open: 11am
Game starts: 1.10pm
Tickets from: Ticketek.com.au
