BY JACK KOVACIC.
Coburg will return home to Piranha Park on Saturday where they will host second-placed Box Hill.
There were plenty of good signs against Footscray last week, with the game still winnable late in the third term before the Bulldogs ran away with the win.
With a far better day for football forecast this Saturday, Coburg will be able to get back to playing the way they have been training all pre-season; moving the ball fast and taking the game on.
Mark Orr has been named at full-back and will play his first game of the season. Orr will add some leadership and experience to the backline that has been fighting hard. The likes of Ryan Exon, Sean Gregory and Lochie Dickson have been some of the shining lights for Coburg in defence early this season.
Captain Tom Goodwin will sit out due to concussion, so expect Orr to also shoulder some of the ruck duties along with Aidan Tilley, who battled valiantly in the skipper’s absence last week.
Coburg will be up against a red-hot Hawks team who is currently undefeated after comfortable wins over Frankston and Williamstown in the opening two rounds. Mitchell Lewis has been dangerous in front of goal for Box Hill, kicking three in both games, so will need to be stopped come Saturday.
One of the biggest keys to coming away with the win this weekend will be a four-quarter performance; something the young Lions have struggled with thus far but have the skill level and potential to do.
Jay O’Donoghue (23rd man) will make his VFL debut, while Lachy Mitchell, Harry Nolan, Josh Weightman and Mitchell Podhajski (Calder Cannons may all potentially debut after being named on the extended bench.
The opening siren will sound on Saturday afternoon at 2pm.
Coburg
B: 9. N. Blair, 6. M. Orr, 37. J. Murphy
HB: 28. C. Byrne, 10. S. Gregory, 17. L. Dickson
C: 2. J. Corigliano, 1. B. Allan, 39. J. Page
HF: 36. J. Guthrie, 16. J. Fox, 26. L. Hunt
F: 3. H. Kerbatieh, 7. J. Belo, 18. S. Lowson
R: 25. A. Tilley, 8. N. Mellington, 5. R. Exon
Int: 32. B. Cannolo, 42. M. Lentini, 40. L. Mitchell, 43. H. Nolan, 45. M. Podhajski, 27. J. Svarc, 4. T. Wallis, 33. J. Weightman
23P: 30. J. O’Donoghue
Box Hill
B: 10. W. Hams, 59. K. Brand, 42. T. Miles
HB: 62. R. Burton, 50. D. Willsmore, 44. C. Glass
C: 58. W. Langford, 63. D. Howe, 51. B. Whitecross
HF: 40. H. Jones, 45. C. Nash, 66. R. Schoenmakers
F: 60. K. Lovell, 39. M. Lewis, 38. J. Worpel
R: 56. M. Pittonet, 46. J. Cousins, 52. J. O’Rourke
Int: 8. V. Adduci, 7. A. Brolic, 9. B. Evans, 13. N. Evans, 6. S. Horner, 18. L. Jeffs, 43. C. Jiath, 11. B. Kilpatrick, 1. L. Mackie, 3. W. Murphy, 4. M. O’Donnell, 21. L. Walker
23P: 17. T. Maloney
Teams subject to change.
