Highly rated midfielder Joshua Cowan will make his long awaited return to competitive football in the ‘VFL Match of the Round’ against the Casey Scorpions on Sunday.
The former North Ballarat Rebel was recruited to the club at pick number 56 in the 2009 National Draft and played 3 AFL matches & 28 VFL matches over the next two seasons.
Cowan’s career was then put on hold when he sustained a serious achilles injury that has seen him listed in the Cats injury list as ‘indefinite’ since VFL Round 2, 2012.
The turning point in Cowan’s recovery came when he travelled to London to have surgery in March this year.
Cowan joins fellow midfielders Jordan Schroder (AFL), Jesse Stringer (hamstring) and premiership skipper Troy Selwood (back) as the major inclusions in the 27 man squad for this week’s season defining contest at the newly redeveloped Simonds Stadium.
George Burbury (AFL) and Jai Sheahan are the confirmed outgoing players from the team that lost to Collingwood by 13 points last weekend.
Former Geelong Falcon Zak Sherman will make his VFL debut on Sunday as the Cats 23rd player. Sherman has been in outstanding form with GFL club St Mary’s and looks set to make an immediate impact at VFL level.
The 6th placed Casey Scorpions have been one of the stand out sides in the VFL competition for a number of years.
They finished the 2012 season on top of the ladder and have finished the VFL home and away season in the top 6 for each of the past 6 years.
This remarkable consistency looks set to continue in 2013 with the Rohan Welsh coached Scorpions once again in ominous form.
The Casey side features a host of AFL listed players with extensive AFL & VFL experience such as David Rodan, Joel Macdonald, Jake Spencer, Cameron Pedersen, Sam Blease, Tom Couch and 2012 Geelong VFL premiership defender Tom Gillies.
Together with VFL regulars such as Evan Panozza, Kyle Matthews, Daniel Nicholls and talented young AFL recruits such as Jesse Hogan and Dominc Barry, the Scorpions have formed a lethal combination that will be looking to play a big part in September action.
With the AFL Cats interstate this weekend a large ‘footy starved’ crowd is tipped to attend the VFL blockbuster on Sunday - a match that was originally scheduled to be played under lights on Friday night.
The match kicks off at 1.00pm on Sunday with the gates opening at 12.00pm.
As always – 2013 Geelong members gain free entry.
You can also participate in the Cats live VFL chat with VFL writer Nathan Kettle by clicking here.
Bendigo Bank Cats – Round 7 Selected Side
B: Joel Hamling, Ryan Bathie, Matthew Sully
HB: Piers Flanagan, Mitchell Brown, Cameron Eardley
C: Joshua Cowan, Troy Selwood, Jordan Murdoch
HF: Brad Hartman, Nathan Vardy, Dominic Gleeson
F: Mark Corrigan, Joshua Walker, Shane Kersten
R: Dawson Simpson, Jesse Stringer, Jordan Schroder
I/C: Ben Raidme, Robert Condy, Dane McFarlane, Tom Gribble, Daniel Gibbs, Andrew Banjanin, Tom Maas, Daniel Measures, Zak Sherman (23rd Player)
