The Blackwood Football Club has named its squad to face the Onkaparinga Valley Bulldogs in Round 14 of the Police Credit Union Hills Football League. Facing the Bulldogs in a fifth v tenth battle, the Woods will be looking to secure victory number seven of the season.
In the squad for the match, the Woods have named Vice Captain and reigning Moulden Medallist Nathan Dunn who returns having missed the last two matches while Jonathan Grimes, Luke Lewis and Zac Venning have also been named in the selected 21.
For Lewis, it is second time lucky being named to make his A Grade debut. Originally named in the team for Round 7 to face the Hahndorf Magpies, Lewis was a late withdrawal through injury. When Lewis takes to the field, he will be the 16th player to make their Men’s A Grade debut in the Red and Green for 2022.
Speaking at selections on Thursday evening, coach Scott Prebble said the side was looking to play a full four quarter performance. “We have had a solid week on the track and are ready to put in a full four quarter performance against the Bulldogs on their home ground.”
For the B Grade, Daniel Lowe has made a total of nine changes to the squad for the match against the tenth placed Bulldogs. In exciting news, Nathan Houston has been named to make his Senior debut for the Red and Green having missed the opening part of the season through injury. Houston is a junior product of the club and has been down at Sturt in the Senior program for 2022.
Also named in the squad for the match are James Hopton who plays his first match of the season having suffered an injury setback in pre-season, Bailey Pedro and current senior colt quintet Jay Burton, Patrick Hall, Tyson Kershaw, Michael Thompson and Oscar Whitehouse. For Burton and Whitehouse, it will be their first senior matches for the Woods.
The Woods will be looking to record their eighth victory of the season and firm up a place in the top five on the ladder. The last time they met the Bulldogs back in Round 5, Matt McNaught booted three majors and Ryan McMurtrie was named best player at the Woods ran out 54 point winners. Since 2006, these sides have played a total of 31 matches with the Woods securing a victory on 24 occasions (77.4 percent).
In the C Grade, they have had a late change in game time with the match shifted on Sunday afternoon at Uraidla Oval. The side has been named as a squad at this stage with a final confirm to occur on Saturday. The match against the Demons will be the final minor round match for the Adam Pope coached side as they look to prepare for next weekend’s Elimination Final.
In the Senior Colts, the Daryl Sowerby coached side currently sit on top of the ladder and have named a squad of 22 players to face the eighth ranked Onkaparinga Valley squad. Back in Round 5, the Woods secured a 90 point victory with competition leading goal kicker Nick Evans booting eight majors. The Woods and Bulldogs have met on 29 occasions in the Senior Colts since the beginning of 2010 with Blackwood securing 24 victories. The last time the Woods lost to the Bulldogs in the Senior Colts was back in Round 6 of 2016 when a then Matt Thomas coached side won the game on the scoreboard however had their points taken away after having been found to have named 23 players on the team-sheet.
Check out the Men’s and Boys squads for Round 14 courtesy of match day sponsor National Pharmacies – Blackwood
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