SITTING OUT: West Coast has decided to play it safe with Adam Selwood (bottom, centre). Picture: Daniel Wilkins Source: PerthNow
WEST Coast has been forced to make a late change for today's NAB Cup Round 2 clash with Collingwood at Patersons Stadium, following a minor injury to Adam Selwood.
Selwood was withdrawn from the squad named on Thursday and replaced by defender Jacob Brennan.
A West Coast spokesperson told The Sunday Times that Selwood's absence was more precautionary than serious, after he suffered a "knock" at training that required stitches.
The clash left Selwood with a split ear, but the Eagles said they expected he would be named for Saturday's pre-season Round 3 game against Port Adelaide at Traeger Park.
Selwood had an arm infection and missed last season's first meeting between West Coast and Collingwood a Round 13 loss for the Eagles at the MCG but played in the Round 22 rematch win at Patersons Stadium and the semifinal loss.
Today's game marks a showdown with one of the Eagles' most dogged rivals in recent years.
Last year, West Coast gave Collingwood a 49-point belting in the Round 22 clash, before the Magpies had the final say in a 13-point semi-final win at the MCG that ended the Eagles' finals campaign.
It was West Coast's third finals loss to Collingwood in six seasons, after the drawn semifinal of 2007 at Patersons Stadium resulted in extra time and an eventual 19-point Magpies win.
Collingwood then trumped West Coast in the 2011 qualifying final at the MCG by 10 points in the Eagles' first finals campaign since that 2007 semifinal loss.
West Coast has named a strong squad for the game, with several sub-plots adding to the intrigue of both sides' first full-length hit-out of the pre-season.
Goalsneak Mark LeCras gathered five touches and kicked a goal in the NAB Cup Round 1 game against Geelong but will get a better chance to find his footing in his first proper run since rupturing his ACL last pre-season.
The Eagles were forced to field their two backup ruckmen, Scott Lycett and Callum Sinclair, in the three-way pre-season duels against the Dockers and Cats, with All-Australians Nic Naitanui (groin surgery) and Dean Cox (finger surgery) both injured.
While Cox has returned, Naitanui remains in doubt for Round 1 of the season-proper later this month. Today's clash presents the opportunity to see how effective the Cox-Lycett combination will be through the regular season, should the preferred pairing be unavailable.
The Eagles' midfield depth will also be on show, remaining potent despite the absences of Naitanui, grunt Daniel Kerr, who continues his recovery from minor knee surgery, and Sharrod Wellingham, who injured his ankle jumping on a trampoline a fortnight ago.
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