INJURIES have forced Hawthorn selectors to make two changes tothe team for this Saturday’s round 14 clash against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.
Full-back Danny Jacobs and defender Josh Thurgood return tothe line-up at the expense of Tim Boyle, out with a hamstring strain, andMichael Osborne, nursing a stomach ailment.
Boyle is expected to be on the sidelines for the next threematches, while Osborne is not allowed to train until a medical assessmentclears him of internal bleeding.
Jacobs was dropped for last week’s heart-in-mouth twilight matchagainst Collingwood at Telstra Dome and played for the Box Hill Hawks.
Thurgood, meanwhile, makes his second senior appearance in2007 after impressive outings in the VFL.
Travis Tuck, the son of AFL games record holder MichaelTuck, has been named as an emergency. He will be the 23rd player in the tourparty to South Australia.
The lightly-framed flanker is in his second year with theclub after being a father-son selection – No.38 overall – in the 2005 NAB AFLNational Draft.
Tuck, 19, is the son of club legend and 426-game icon,Michael, and his older brother Shane plays for Richmond.
Beau Muston and Thomas Murphy are the other emergencies.
Hawthorn football operations manager Mark Evans said it wasa positive sign for the club to have so many young players pushing for senior selection.
“Tucky has had to work hard. He missed the early part of theseason with a foot injury after completing the whole pre-season,” Evans said.
“He can play at half-forward on a wing or at half-back.”
Evans said club medical staff are adopting a cautiousapproach with Osborne’s recovery from internal bleeding in his stomach region.
The running player was admitted to hospital on Monday nightafter tests confirmed internal bleeding.
“He came off late in the game with a really bad back spasm,”Evans explained.
“When the doctor called him on the Monday, he said Ossie wasstill tender in the stomach region.
“We won’t be rushing him. He’s at home resting. He’ll needto rest until they are confident the bleeding has stopped and the clotcongealed.”
The team
B: Rick Ladson, Stephen Gilham, Grant Birchall
HB: Campbell Brown, Trent Croad, Brent Guerra
C: Joel Smith, Sam Mitchell, ClintonYoung
HF: Chance Bateman, Lance Franklin, Shane Crawford
F: Ben McGlynn, Jarryd Roughead, Luke Hodge
FOLL: Robert Campbell, Jordan Lewis, Brad Sewell
I/C: Xavier Ellis, Danny Jacobs, Simon Taylor, JoshThurgood
EMG: Tom Murphy, Beau Muston, Travis Tuck
In: Jacobs, Thurgood
Out: Boyle (hamstring), Osborne (injured)
