West Coast will unveil its first debutant of season 2020 when it takes on Geelong at Optus Stadium tomorrow night.
The Eagles’ match committee has given second-year Eagle Harry Edwards the green light to strut his stuff on the big stage following a string of strong performances in the club’s scrimmage contests.
Edwards has been brought in to add more height to West Coast’s backline, who will be again without four-time all-Australian Jeremy McGovern after he fractured his thumb at training a week ago.
He comes in at the expense of Josh Rotham, who has been omitted from the starting 22.
Edwards arrived at West Coast via pick no.18 in the 2018 AFL Rookie Draft with no defined position, but he revelled at the opportunity to train alongside the Eagles’ experienced defenders and quickly established himself as a fledgling to watch.
The now 19-year-old was a standout performer for West Coast’s inaugural WAFL team last year, consistently taking down some of the league’s most experienced key forwards.
He will run onto Optus Stadium alongside Brendon Ah Chee, who has been recalled after missing last week’s triumph over Collingwood due to a back injury.
The versatile utility comes in to the team to replace Jack Redden, who strained a quadricep during the win against the Pies.
Senior coach Adam Simpson revealed today that Redden suffered the injury midway through the encounter, but fought on valiantly to finish the match.
It is hoped he will only miss one game due to the ailment.
West Coast has named Xavier O’Neill, Bailey Williams, Josh Rotham and Nic Reid as emergencies for the blockbuster clash.
The fourth versus sixth battle will be a memorable one for star recruit Tim Kelly, who faces off against his former club for the first time since becoming an Eagle.
There are still plenty of tickets available for the game, but they’re sure to sell out fast, so visit bit.ly/R9On-sale now to snap yours up!
If you can’t make it to the game, it will be broadcast live on 7mate, Fox Footy, Kayo and the official AFL Live app.
