Sydney Swans premiership player Paul Bevan is expected to play for Wodonga Raiders in their next two matches.
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With star playmaker Todd Grayson on the injured list, coach Daryn Cresswell said last night the club was eager for Bevan to line up against Wangaratta Rovers and Corowa-Rutherglen.
Raiders officials are frantically trying to secure a clearance from Bevan’s club Western Suburbs, with the AFL Sydney competition having a general bye tomorrow and an interleague game against AFL Canberra next weekend.
“We’re really keen to get “Rowdy” for a couple of games,” Cresswell said.
“He went to school at Corowa and his mother lives at Gundagai. It would work out well if we can get it through.
“With Todd Grayson out, his experience would be really handy for our young list.
“We have a huge game against Rovers this weekend.”
Bevan wasn’t named in the Raiders’ team but it is believed several changes are possible to the line-up to tackle the Hawks at Birallee Park.
The Raiders have already made six changes to the team that lost to Lavington before the bye, with Matt Murray, Brett Lefoe, Joe Lonergan, Zac Pleming, Daniel Leeworthy and Ross Tungatalum replacing injured Grayson, Matt Neagle and Nick Nott, while Ben Murphy is unavailable and Jak Hancock and Nathan Hunter were dropped.
Sydney University player Yarran Jaffer-Williams, who has been a top-up player for the Swans’ reserves, has also applied for a clearance to the Raiders and could be another inclusion.
Surprisingly, Cresswell was named as an emergency.
Bevan, 30, spent two seasons on Sydney’s rookie list when Cresswell was with the Swans.
He went on to play 129 matches between 2004 and 2011, including the drought-breaking 2005 premiership win over West Coast.
He then moved interstate and starred for WAFL club Perth for three seasons, captaining the Demons, before returning this year to home club Western Suburbs.
The Rovers made three enforced changes for the trip to Birallee Park, losing Dylan Wilson, Stuart Booth and Hayden Lowe to injury.
James Smith, Cam Bishop and Nick Henderson earned recalls.
Albury welcomed back the O’hAilpin brothers and John O’Connell to take on Lavington in the top-of-the-table clash, with Chris Hyde (suspended), Ryan Hon (injured) and Alex Goodall (omitted) going out.
The Panthers brought in big man Jamarl O’Sullivan to face his old club alongside midfielders Sam Harris and Tom Hargreave, while coach James Saker (hamstring) is injured and Daniel Hitchens and Craig Mabon were omitted.
Matt Dwyer will play his first match for Yarrawonga since the 2013 grand final after three games in the reserves, but the Pigeons lost Tim Cooper (quad).
Joel Harris returns for Wangaratta’s big clash with Corowa-Rutherglen, with the Roos regaining coach Bryce Campbell.
Riley Sharp returns to Myrtleford’s team after being dropped by the Murray Bushrangers, but the Alpine Saints have lost Jarrod Hayse (hamstring).