The selected side for the second tier Cats will not be too dissimilar from the squad that defeated Footscray by 32 points in the final practice match of the pre-season at Simonds Stadium last Saturday.
Headlining the list of inclusions is the Cats No.36 pick in the 2013 National Draft Jarrad Jansen, who looks set to return for his first match since the NAB regional match against Melbourne at Alice Springs in late February.
After a terrific pre-season the strongly built midfielder was sidelined for the past month with a foot complaint but is now back into full training and ready for the opening match of the VFL season.
Jansen has been joined on the list incoming players by AFL omission Dawson Simpson, Jackson Sheringham and fellow 2013 draftee Darcy Lang.
Sheringham has been named to return after acting as a travelling AFL emergency last weekend, while Lang was a late withdrawal for last week’s practice match with an illness.
The Cats have named a 27-man squad that could include up to 9 VFL debutants. AFL listed players Jarrad Jansen, Darcy Lang, Jake Kolodjashnij, Nick Bourke and Micheal Luxford will all be playing their first official VFL matches, while VFL listed players Luke Bath, James Linton and Kane Leersen will be hoping to join them in doing so.
Three other VFL listed players - Chris Lynch (20 games with North Ballarat), Cameron Tudor (2 – Werribee Tigers) and Kieren Paliouras (2 – Werribee Tigers) will be hoping to play their first VFL match in the blue and white hoops.
2013 TAC Cup Team of the Year member Fraser Fort is a lock in for his first game after being named as the Cats 23rd player for the opening match of the season. Fort has displayed tremendous versatility in each of the three practice matches and looks set to play an important role for the VFL Cats in coming weeks.
Vice-captain Jack Hollmer will step in as acting captain for the Round 1 fixture, with Dom Gleeson serving a one-match suspension from the 2013 VFL Grand Final.
The Aussie Jones coached Bendigo Gold will be out to show the football world how much they have improved ahead of the 2nd season since breaking away from Essendon.
They have retained the core group of their talented young list and recruited strongly in the off-season. Former Box Hill Hawk & Frankston Dolphin midfielder Jackson Sketcher has returned from WAFL club Perth and been joined by fellow recruits Joe Redfern (Greater Western Sydney), Angus Watts (Labrador), Jesse Wallin (Morningside), Devin McFarlane (Peel Thunder) and talented young Bendigo Pioneers duo Sam Heavyside and Liam Byrne (Bendigo Pioneers).
A bumper crowd is tipped to attend the match kicks which off at 7.00pm. If you can’t make it to the famous QEO, then be sure to follow the match at @GeelongVFL
Bendigo Bank Cats Selected Side – VFL Round 1
B: Jed Bews, Jake Kolodjashnij, Luke Bath
HB: Jackson Thurlow, Matthew Sully, Nick Bourke
C: Jarrad Jansen, Jackson Sheringham, Darcy Lang
HF: Daniel Gibbs, Joshua Walker, Jack Hollmer (c)
F: Micheal Luxford, Joel Hamling, Bradley Hartman
R: Dawson Simpson, Jordan Schroder, Jesse Stringer
I/C: (from) James Linton, Mitch Herbison, Chris Lynch, Tom Maas, Kane Leersen, Kieren Paliouras, Cameron Tudor, Daniel Measures, Fraser Fort (23rd Player)
