Star Blues to face Swans but Thomas in VFL
Apr 28, 2017 - 7:55 AM Star Carlton duo Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs will play against Sydney in their AFL encounter on Saturday, but out-of-sorts veteran Dale Thomas will play in the VFL.Coach Brendon Bolton confirmed Murphy (knee) and Gibbs (thumb) had shrugged off injury concerns picked up in last week's 90-point thrashing by Port Adelaide.
Thomas missed that game with general soreness but the 29-year-old will play in the VFL this weekend after an indifferent start to the season.
"One thing about Daisy (Thomas), it's a little bit similar to us as a team, we've played some really good football in patches," Bolton said on Friday.
"We've been a little bit inconsistent and, like us, Daisy would be the first to admit that he's been a bit inconsistent.
"He'll go back and work extremely hard."
Bolton added more experience to his 16th-placed team as the look to improve on a 1-4 record.
Former Dockers defender Alex Silvagni is in for his first game for the club, while Matthew Kreuzer, Billie Smedts and Nick Graham also return.
Winless Sydney are last on the ladder, but are warm favourites to defeat the Blues at the MCG, which is due in no small part to the presence of Lance Franklin.
The game-breaking forward has booted 21 goals against Carlton in four games as a Swans player.
"Buddy's one of those players in the competition who can do that to anyone ... he's such a talented player with a big left foot," Bolton said.
"We've just got to make sure that we keep a lot of pressure on him because in time and space he'll really hurt you."
Bolton says top draft pick Jacob Weitering would continue his AFL apprenticeship spending time at both ends of the ground.
But he wouldn't be drawn on whether he would be tempted to have Weitering gain valuable experience by shadowing Franklin.
"We think he's a genuine swing man, but the game will decide where we need to play him," Bolton said.
Swans coach John Longmire has brought in Brandon Jack, Jeremy Laidler and Nic Newman, with Kieren Jack (hip), Harry Marsh (hamstring) and Jordan Foote (omitted) dropping out.
Source: AAP
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