June 15, 2007
From Ballarat Courier
MATT Sharkey makes his much anticipated return for North Ballarat against Casey Scorpions in the Victorian Football League at AUSTAR Arena in Ballarat tomorrow.
Sharkey has not played since foot surgery pre-season.
MATT Sharkey makes his much anticipated return for North Ballarat against Casey Scorpions in the Victorian Football League at AUSTAR Arena in Ballarat tomorrow.
Sharkey has not played since foot surgery pre-season.
The 2006 VFL Team of the Year member had a bone graft and pin inserted to repair a stress fracture in his left foot.
The defender initially dismissed the injury, but was shocked to learn he had a fracture on the outside of the foot.
The Selkirk Roosters originally hoped Sharkey would miss no more than six matches, but he has returned with them on four wins and five losses, outside the top eight in ninth position, and in desperate
need of a victory over the St Kilda-aligned Scorpions after losing to Williamstown by 40 points.
Sharkey has been named on a half-back flank after proving his match fitness in two appearances in the reserves.
The 21-year-old established himself as one of the best in the VFL last year, playing in all North Ballarat's 20 matches, including two finals.
Sharkey and the Kangaroos-listed Callum Urch are pivotal inclusions for the Roosters.
Urch has not played in the seniors since straining a hamstring in round two.
He lasted only a couple of minutes in that match against Coburg Tigers and has missed seven games. He got through 70 per cent of a VFL reserves match on Sunday.
While Sharkey would add to the backline, Urch would make a world of difference in front of goal.
North Ballarat has had to rely largely on ruckmen Tristan Cartledge and Orren Stephenson, and, of late, pinch-hitter Aaron Clark to provide a tall option up forward.
Urch is not especially big at 184 centimetres, but plays tall.
Steve Clifton and Ben Taylor were also set to return.
The youngsters have been pencilled in, but would have to pass fitness tests tonight to get over the line.
Clifton has overcome a hamstring strain which initially sidelined him, but he is now battling a sore foot.
Taylor missed the Williamstown encounter with a sprained ankle and would need to show coach Gerard FitzGerald he was completely over the problem.
Kangaroos defender Kasey Green, Gavin Urquhart, Justin Hardy and Wayne Schultz have also been included in an expanded interchange.
On the down side, North Ballarat would be without Kangaroos pair Blake Grima (hamstring) and David Trotter (hamstring), and Jake Dignan (dislocated elbow), while Leigh Ryall returns to the reserves.
Grima strained a hamstring at training on Wednesday, having been among the Roosters' best at Williamstown.
Trotter suffered the recurrence of a hamstring injury against the Seagulls.
