After combining for 95 disposals in the NEAFL last week, Adam Tomlinson and Jack Steele return to the GIANTS line-up to face the Crows at Adelaide Oval.
As flagged earlier in the week, defender Tim Mohr (hamstring) and Matt Buntine (concussion) will miss the round 10 clash on Saturday night. Both players were injured in the first quarter of the Bulldogs match last Sunday and neither returned to the field.
Co-captain Phil Davis failed to prove his fitness and will spend a third week on the sidelines with the hamstring injury he sustained late in the round 7 win over Fremantle.
Utility Tomlinson has played just three games this year but has been in exceptional NEAFL form playing all across the ground.
After 44 touches the week before, Tomlinson had 52 touches, 11 inside 50s and kicked a goal against the Brisbane Lions reserves last week.
Coach Leon Cameron said Tomlinson’s selection was just reward for outstanding form and flagged a variety of roles for the big man.
"When Tommo goes to play he plays either forward, mid or back so that’s not going to change,” Cameron said.
“He’s so flexible and will take up midfield opportunities and look at backline opportunities as well.
“Because he’s got such a unique motor, he can run all day but also compete all day as well so it’s just good reward for the form he’s been in.”
Also into the side is second-year midfielder Jack Steele who’s played six of nine games so far this season and was only omitted from last week’s match for Toby Greene.
“He was unlucky to go out last week,” Cameron said.
“It was a strong senior side that we put out on the park last week and he’d been in pretty good form at AFL level.
“In his second year, this will be his seventh game which is a great feat.”
Cameron also gave an update on Buntine who will miss another game with concussion after two consecutive head knocks at the end of last year ended his season.
“We’re obviously mindful of his history. If it was a seven or eight day break, he probably would have been right to play,” Cameron said.
“We’ve pulled it back realising the six-day break is too short of a time for him to get back to play.
“He’s feeling better but we’re just not going to take any risks, we expect him to be available probably next week.”
The Crows and GIANTS will compete this week in the AFL’s Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round, recognising and celebrating Indigenous players and culture.
“It’s a magnificent initiative from the AFL. We’re lucky to have a number of Indigenous boys on our list - Nathan Wilson, Zac Williams, Paul Ahern, Jeremy Finlayson and Jarrod Pickett,” Cameron said.
“We had a good day yesterday with the jumper presentation, there’s lots of meaning to the jumper but also Jarrod and the chef cooked up some Kangaroo stew for the team which was just fantastic.”
Saturday night’s contest will be between the two highest-scoring sides in the competition and there’s mouth-watering match-ups right across the ground.
“They lost a couple but they’re back on track last week with a convincing win over the Suns,” Cameron said.
“They’ve obviously got some quality ahead of the footy, Jacobs is an All Australian ruckman, their backs can play some really, really good footy so all over the ground there’s going to be match-ups galore.
“We’ve just got to try and bring exactly what we brought last week and that’s contested footy and tackle pressure.
“The atmosphere is going to be great, a really big crowd and a great test for our young team.”
The GIANTS travel to Adelaide to take on the Crows at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night at 7.40pm AEST.
GWS GIANTS
FB: Adam Tomlinson, Joel Patfull, Zac Williams
HB: Nathan Wilson, Nick Haynes, Heath Shaw
C: Adam Kennedy, Callan Ward, Toby Greene
HF:Steve Johnson, Rory Lobb, Jonathon Patton
FF: Rhys Palmer, Jeremy Cameron, Stephen Coniglio
RR: Shane Mumford, Josh Kelly, Jacob Hopper
Interchange: Dylan Shiel, Tom Scully, Lachie Whitfield, Jack Steele
In: Adam Tomlinson, Jack Steele
Out: Tim Mohr (hamstring), Matt Buntine (concussion)
Emergencies: Matthew Kennedy, Jeremy Finlayson, Sam Reid
