Rebounding defender Adam Saad will pull on the red and gold guernsey for the first time since round eight, named to face Hawthorn at Launceston’s Aurora Stadium on Sunday after successfully recovering from a hamstring injury.
The Coburg Lions product will add much needed drive to a backline missing both Kade Kolodjashnij (concussion) and Sean Lemmens (hamstring), who go out of the side with injury.
Saad is currently leading the competition in running bounces.
Midfielder Aaron Hall will also make the trip south after earning a senior recall following an impressive performance in the NEAFL two weeks ago.
Hall was omitted from the SUNS 22 for the round 12 clash against Richmond to work on specific elements of his game and responded in emphatic fashion to ensure he would be on the team sheet to travel to his home state this weekend.
"It was the areas that we’d spoken to him about… and the feedback from all the development coaches as well as looking at the tape was extremely pleasing,” coach Rodney Eade told the media on Thursday.
Launceston local Jesse Lonergan won’t venture home with the powerhouse midfielder ruled out with glandular fever.
"He was very sluggish against Richmond, he woke up the morning of and thought it was just a cold and said he’d be able to get through, which is a testament to his character,” Eade said.
"But he struggled a bit because of that. He hasn’t trained yet but we’re hopeful it will only be 2-3 weeks."
Jarrad Grant, Mitch Hallahan, Matt Shaw and Clay Cameron have all been included on an extended interchange bench, with the 25-man squad to be cut to a final 22 on Friday at 5pm.
Round 14 AFL Premiership Team
B: A. Saad, R. Thompson, T. McKenzie
HB: J. Martin, S. May, J. Harbrow
C: M. Rosa, G. Ablett, A. Sexton
HF: A. Hall, T. Lynch, T. Miller
F: B. Matera, S. Day, P. Wright
FOLL: T. Nicholls, D. Prestia, M. Rischitelli
INT (from): J. Grant, N. Malceski, M. Hallahan, M. Shaw, C. Cameron, R. Davis, J. Joyce
IN: J. Grant, M. Hallahan, M. Shaw, C. Cameron, A. Saad, A. Hall
OUT: S. Lemmens (hamstring), J. Lonergan (illness), K. Kolodjashnij (concussion)
