Young defender Harry Perryman will join Tim Mohr for the trip to Hobart as the GIANTS get set to take on North Melbourne at Blundstone Arena on Saturday afternoon. 

19-year-old Perryman returns to the senior side for his second game of the season with the 2016 number 14 pick expected to add class and composure. 

“It’s great to see Harry back, he had a great pre-season before a couple of minor niggles got in the way,” said coach Leon Cameron. 

“After a couple of really good NEAFL games he’s had some continuity and is ready for a good run at it.  

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“We really like what he does, he’s hard at the footy, and he’ll offer us something around our midfield and back half of the ground.” 

The GIANTS Academy graduate from Collingullie in southern NSW played eight games in his debut season in 2017, playing predominately across the backline.

Perryman is joined in the line-up for the round nine clash by determined defender Tim Mohr who replaces co-captain Phil Davis (concussion).

Mohr plays his first game since round 10, 2017 with the inaugural GIANT set to return to his home state of Tasmania.

The 29-year-old has been in strong form for the GIANTS’ NEAFL side and had been singled out by the coach as being on the cusp of a long-awaited call-up in recent weeks. 

“He’s been playing some great footy at NEAFL level, holding up that full back position,” Cameron said on Wednesday. 

“He’s probably been really unlucky not to get into that starting seven in the backline. We’re really looking forward to seeing him get that opportunity to play and hold down that post.” 

Matt de Boer is the other forced change with the forward suffering a low-grade hamstring injury in last week’s game that is expected to sideline him for a fortnight.

Cameron is looking forward to the interstate trip and the challenge of facing an in-form Kangaroos who have turned Blundstone Arena into a home-town fortress.

“They’re having a great start to the year and one of the form teams of the competition,” he said.

“We went down there in the early rounds last year and played a really good brand of footy so that will give our guys confidence but we’re under no illusions that we are facing a genuine top-eight side.  

“Our boys are confident they can bounce back after the last couple of weeks and we look forward to the challenge.”

Saturday’s game will also mark the 100th AFL match for popular defender Adam Tomlinson. 

“To play one game is hard enough, to play 100 is just great,” Cameron said. 

“He’s got a huge motor and a huge appetite to work. He never gives in. If I ask him to play centre half-back, full-back, wing, ruck, he just puts his hand up and says, ‘play me wherever you need me’. 

“Those sorts of players are hard to find so I’m rapt he gets to play 100 games this week.” 

The GIANTS take on the Kangaroos on Saturday at 1:45pm with live coverage on 7mate in NSW and the ACT and Fox Footy nationally. 

North Melbourne v GIANTS
Saturday, May 19 at 1:45pm
Blundstone Arena, Hobart

FB: Adam Tomlinson, Aidan Corr, Nick Haynes
HB: Jeremy Finlayson, Tim Mohr, Heath Shaw
C: Isaac Cumming, Dylan Shiel, Lachie Whitfield
HF: Zac Langdon, Jeremy Cameron, Jacob Hopper
FF: Sam Reid, Harry Himmelberg, Callan Ward
RR: Rory Lobb, Stephen Coniglio, Ryan Griffen 

Interchange: Lachie Keeffe, Daniel Lloyd, Harry Perryman, Tim Taranto 

In: Tim Mohr, Harry Perryman
Out: Phil Davis (concussion), Matt de Boer (hamstring)

Emergencies: Aiden Bonar, Jonathon Patton, Dawson Simpson, Dylan Buckley