Emerging defender Josh Rotham will be asked to punch above his weight as the West Coast Eagles prepare to battle Carlton at Optus Stadium tomorrow.
Rotham, who stands 193cm, will be there to support regular key defender Tom Barrass against a Carlton forward division that boasts sky-scraping forward Levi Casboult, who measures over 200cm.
The inclusion of Rotham and experienced midfielder Jack Redden at the expense of developing utility player Brayden Ainsworth, are the only changes to the team that scored an enthralling victory over Geelong last Saturday night.
Four-time all-Australian Jeremy McGovern was ruled out for the third week in succession with a thumb fracture while Harry Edwards, who made his debut last week, was also not considered despite passing concussion protocols during the week.
The medical advice was to rest Edwards this week as a result of leaving the field early in the second quarter of his first match after taking a heavy hit in a marking contest.
So Rotham, who has shown the capacity to ‘play taller’ than his size, will likely stand next to one of the Carlton big guys throughout this contest, as West Coast strives to add to a winning sequence of five matches.
Aside from the absence of McGovern and Edwards, the focus this week has been around the availability of electrifying small forward Liam Ryan, who had scans on a hamstring during the week.
He has been named in the team and should play his 47th career game.
The return of Redden, a key cog in the West Coast engine room, is also important particularly given the forecast tomorrow, with the game expected to be played in wet, wintry condtions.
The Eagles will play games against Carlton, Hawthorn and GWS in the next fortnight, but the club is awaiting on the AFL to release future fixtures.
While there has been speculation of the club being sent back to Queensland to enter a hub, West Coast is hopeful of playing more matches at home, in the best stadium in Australia outside of the MCG, and in front of the biggest crowd allowed in the country.
