WEST
West Adelaide star Jason Porplyzia will be sidelined for between 6-8 weeks with a knee injury, ruling him out of Saturday’s clash with North at City Mazda Stadium.
The former Crow will next week undergo an arthroscopy on his knee, to repair a small tear in his meniscus, in a major blow to the battling Bloods.
‘’We’re not sure when he did it as it could be a recurrence of the injury he had during the pre-season,’’ West football manager Andrew Marks said.
‘’We will certainly miss his leadership as Jason is an integral guy who the other guys follow closely.’’
Goalsneak Shannon Green will return from his one-match suspension while running defender Brad Helbig could play his first League match of the year.
Helbig has now played two games – one for Waikerie and one for the Bloods’ Reserves – while building match fitness from a serious thigh strain.
Nick Favretto has also been added to the 23-man squad while speedy former Murray Bushrangers wingman Murray Waite (183cm and 74kg) looks set to debut after being trimmed from the squad for the past fortnight.
Impressive forward John Noble has been sent back to the Reserves to find form.
League
F: Silverlock, Middleton, Fielke
HF: Stubbs, Slattery, Haysman
C: Waite, Schiller, Schmidt
HB: Green, Hardy, Wasley-Black
B: Hill, Klemke, Caire
R: Weeb, Tuck, O’Brien
INT: Agostino, Stevens, Willits, Helbig, Favretto
IN: Waite, Favretto, Helbig, Green
OUT: Porplyzia (knee), J. Noble
Reserves
Cua, McPherson, L. Ryan, Vick, Taheny, Inglis, Majok, Holliday, Scott, J. Evans, Male, J. Ryan, Burgess, Stevens, G. Hampton, Karpany, L. Evans, Fitzpatrick, Turner, J. Noble, O. Johnson.
Under-18
Pillion, Goldner, Eichner, Rodman, O’Driscoll, Crump, Wagner, Bahrkelly, Smith, Moore, Walton, Beard, West, Heitmann, Johnson, Coats, McCulloch, M. Johnson, Binnion, Badcoe, M. Noble, Baldiserra, Cameron.
NORTH
North Adelaide utility Jake Liston could play his first IGA League match since 2012 after being named in the squad to clash with West at City Mazda Stadium on Saturday.
Liston, who has spent the past two seasons playing with Meningie in the River Murray Football League, has been named on the extended interchange bench.
The 22-year-old – who measures in at 175cm and 75kg – last appeared at League level in Round 16 of 2012.
He has been joined in the 23-man squad by emerging youngster Billy Lloyd and veteran George Thring, who has overcome a knee injury.
Thring could effectively replace his younger brother Max, who will miss at least three week with his latest hamstring strain, suffered against Adelaide on Sunday.
League
F: Hender, Harvey, McDonough
HF: Thiele, Barns, Ryswyk
C: Motlop, McKenzie, Clisby
HB: Spina, C. Craig, Tahana
B: Wilkie, Grove, Anderson
R: J. Craig, Shannon, Schwarz
INT: Liston, Lloyd, Olekalns, G. Thring, Virgin
IN: Liston, Lloyd, G. Thring
OUT: M. Thring (hamstring)
Reserves
F: Hayes, Gordon, Curnow
HF: Clinch, Dinham, McMahon
C: Jarman, Gregg, Helyar
HB: Wharton, Wundke, Minervini
B: Wanganeen, Patterson, Davey
R: Sweet, Teasdale, Amato
INT: Baron, McInerney, Smith, Quinn
Under-18
F: Denham, Simmons, Smoker
HF: Kirk, Dyer, Wohling
C: McNamara, Graham, Slade
HB: Lakin, Wilsdon, Tahana
B: Smith, Driscoll, Skinner
R: Coventry, Crompton, Nixon
INT: Reid, Carmichael, Watts, Dittmar, Purser, Jacka