Tait Mackrill will play her first game in 2020 when the GIANTS take on Richmond in Wagga Wagga on Saturday, while captain Alicia Eva has been sidelined.
Mackrill comes into team alongside Erin McKinnon and Sarah Halvorsen who will make her debut.
Eva, who had not missed an AFLW game to this point, will miss the clash with the Tigers after sustaining a foot injury during the GIANTS’ loss to Brisbane last Sunday.
The midfielder joins forward Yvonne Bonner in missing the game through injury while Ingrid Nielsen has been omitted.
GIANTS coach Alan McConnell said Mackrill deserves to play her first game since round 5, 2019.
“Tait has trained the house down over the last month and deserves her opportunity,” he said.
“She’s been very patient on the back of having had a very strong VFLW season which got her back on our list.”
The GIANTS take on a Richmond side that is yet to win in 2020, but McConnell has taken note of the Tigers’ steady improvement across the first four rounds.
While the GIANTS will be without their captain in Eva, Richmond have been dealt a blow with their captain Katie Brennan due to miss the match with concussion.
“I don’t take too much notice of the win-loss stuff in the competition,” he said.
“I think their form has gotten a little better each week, both teams won’t have their captains playing so it’s a nil-all draw there.
“I know they’ll be desperate to win and so are we.”
The game will be a homecoming of sorts for GIANTS Alyce Parker and Jodie Hicks, and an opportunity for a region that has produced a number of GIANTS to enjoy two big games.
“We have a couple of girls who come from the region and they’ll be looking forward to going home and playing well,” McConnell said.
“There are a number of girls who are in the talent pathway from that area who we hope aspire to be GIANTS one day and it’ll be great to engage with them, and the community, and show them what AFLW is about.”
GIANTS v Richmond
Saturday, March 7 at 5:10pm
Robertson Oval, Wagga Wagga
FB: Pepa Randall, Tanya Hetherington
HB: Jessica Dal Pos, Elle Bennetts, Annalyse Lister
C: Lisa Steane, Britt Tully, Nicola Barr
HF: Haneen Zreika, Tait Mackrill, Jodie Hicks
FF: Cora Staunton, Jacinda Barclay
Ruck: Jess Allan, Alyce Parker, Rebecca Beeson
Interchange: Sarah Halvorsen, Erin McKinnon, Rebecca Privitelli, Louise Stephenson, Aimee Schmidt
Emergency: Ingrid Nielsen, Taylah Davies
