North Ballarat Roosters have made four changes ahead of its Victorian Football League clash with Geelong at Eureka Stadium.
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Matthew Johnston returns from broken ribs while Ben Simpson, Jake McQueen and Lloyd Meek (23rd man) have all been brought in.
The Roosters host the Cats on Sunday and are preparing for what will be a dangerous tall forward line.
The likes of AFL-experienced Aaron Black, the inform Wylie Buzza and Ryan Abbott roaming Geelong’s forward half, the under-sized Roosters will need to implore their best team defence to restrict the capable Cats.
Coach Marc Greig said it would take a team-defence mentality, as is the case in most matches, to quell Geelong’s tall timber.
Greig said Simpson’s inclusion would add some height to the back line while he was rapt to have 202cm ruckman Meek into the side to give it a genuine contest in the ruck.
“If it’s the team we think they’ll put out there, they will be pretty tall in their forward half,” Greig said.
“We know we’re going to have to contend with Whylie Buzza, Ryan Abbott, Aaron Black – they’re all key position players that will play in the front half of the ground.
“While we have been close, we have put some trust into boys and given them second chances. We still want to try and get that mix that we think’s right.
“If there is some drizzle, it’ll suit us purely to help those big guys not mark it, but it’ll also help us with our quicker guys in our front half.”
Greig added that while he had been pleased with the side’s competitiveness for the most part, it was important to give opportunities to a number of players in order to find its right mix.
It has given players a couple of chances to allow a prolonged period of time at VFL level when perhaps their form did not always warrant selection – but that is part of developing a young group.
“Consistency is what we’re after.
“(But) inconsistency is natural, we don’t expect any of the first and second-year players to come in and play every game for the year.”
The first bounce is at 2pm following the GWV Rebels.