A strong indication of Jake Waterman’s continued progress came at match committee today when the hard-working forward was named as the replacement for injured skipper Luke Shuey.
Waterman, who had an interrupted pre-season with a back injury, played in the WAFL last week and has immediately been elevated to the senior team for tomorrow’s important contest with St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.
Shuey will be out for an extended period after having hamstring tendon surgery today. He will likely be out of action until at least the mid-season bye.
The promotion of Waterman is the only change to the team that so impressively despatched Port Adelaide at Optus Stadium last Saturday night.
There will, however, be one more inclusion because Zac Langdon, the medical sub who replaced Shuey in the last quarter, has been included in the WAFL squad to play West Perth so that he gets a full hit out.
Ruckman-forward Nathan Vardy, young forward-midfielder Isiah Winder, midfielder Xavier O’Neill and defender Alex Witherden have all been named as emergencies and one of them will get the gig as the medical sub.
That decision will not be revealed until final team lodgement an hour before bouncedown.