The Dragons have been hit hard by player unavailability due to school football and coach Leon Higgins remains wary.

“Sandy has struggled a bit in the last couple of games losing to Gippsland and Bendigo so they will be really determined for a big performance,” Higgins said.

“It will be a tough game.”

The Bushrangers have named another first-gamer in Riley Bice.

Bice has been in fine form for Albury’s thirds and kicked five goals for the Tigers’ reserves last weekend.

Angus Hicks returns from concussion, while Alex Paech, Will Donaghey and Mark Marriott have also been named.

Wodonga’s Isaac Wallace will play as Collingwood’s 23^rd man in the VFL while Wangaratta’s Nick Richards will line-up for Williamstown in the development league.

The clash will be a curtain-raiser to the VFL clash between Werribee and Collingwood at 2.10pm.

Werribee coach John Lamont, who grew up at Benalla, said the club’s lack of a home base due to the $11.75 million redevelopment of Avalon Airport Oval provided the opportunity to play in the North-East.

“Jon Henry from Wangaratta Footy Club first spoke to us a couple of years ago about having a game up there, so they’ve been keen to promote their facility and venue,” Lamont said.

“It was a perfect opportunity this year to go up and have a game in the North East, and hopefully the likes of Matty Munro and Jake Sharp and Jade Cleeland will have really good games up there.

“The support those boys get from their families coming down to Melbourne has been terrific, but now we get the opportunity for them to have a game a bit closer to home.”

The Murray Bushrangers team is:

B, Beasley, Koschitzke, Clarke; hb, Schilg, Butts, Paton; c, Donaghey, Jones, Langlands; hf, Barzen, Boyd, Wilson; f, Trotter, Johnston, Garoni; foll, Marriott, Oakes, Hicks; inter, Bond, Paech, Lane, Bruce; 23rd: Bice; emerg: Smith, Murray, Frauenfelder.