UPGRADED Hawthorn rookie Ben Ross will make his debut for the Hawks in Friday night’s clash against Carlton at the MCG.
Elevated to the primary list on Thursday evening, Ross was elevated for Jed Anderson, who was placed on the long-term injury list in late April following a shoulder injury.
The midfielder, who was picked up by the Hawks in last year’s rookie draft, joins ruckman/forward David Hale as the two inclusions to take on the Blues.
Hale returns after a week on the sidelines due to a corked quad sustained in the 7-point win over GWS two weeks ago.
Last week’s debutant ruckman Luke Lowden has been omitted after an impressive first game in which he kicked three goals, though that speaks volumes of the depth at the Club.
Young midfielder Billy Hartung is the other player who will miss after suffering an elbow injury in the win over the Eagles – he will be sidelined for the next 4-6 weeks.
Ross, 25, is the second Club debutant of the year, joining Ben McEvoy who crossed from St Kilda to Hawthorn at the end of last year.
The midfielder has been a consistent performer for Hawthorn's VFL affiliate Box Hill this year and was among the best in last week's loss to North Ballarat, where he won 15 disposals and generated run off half-back.
He has been named in Box Hill's best in four of his eight games this year.
His run off half-back and through the middle has been one of his strengths, and included 13 and 10 handball receives against Coburg and Geelong.
The midfielder played 14 games for North Melbourne between 2008-2011 after he was drafted by the Kangaroos in 2007.
He was delisted by the Roos at the end of 2011, where he joined VFL club Werribee and won the J. J. Liston Trophy as the league’s best player in his first year with the club in 2012.
After another impressive season in the VFL in 2013, he was picked up by the Hawks in last years’s rookie draft.
Ben Ross in action during Hawthorn training on Thursday.
Ruckman Ben McEvoy (corked hamstring) and Ben Stratton (adductor) will spend another week on the sidelines due to injury.
Round 13
Carlton v Hawthorn
Friday 13 June
MCG, 7.50pm
B: Burgoyne Schoenmakers Hodge
HB: Suckling Cheney Birchall
C: Smith Sewell Hill
HF: Puopolo Gunston Rioli
F: Breust Roughead Spangher
Foll: Ceglar Lewis Shiels
I/C: Ross Hale Duryea Litherland
Emergencies: Hallahan O'Brien Simpkin
In: D.Hale, B.Ross
Out: L.Lowden (Omitted), B.Hartung (Elbow)
