East Perth v Norwood Foxtel Cup PreviewTuesday, May 27, 2014 - 12:58 AM - by Chris Pike

EAST Perth hasn’t played in the WAFL for two weeks and won't play for another six days so will be fielding a strong line-up against the reigning SANFL premiers Norwood in tonight's Foxtel Cup clash at Patersons Stadium.

The clash between the Royals and Redlegs will begin just after 6.30pm WST at Patersons Stadium with entry to the venue free through Gate 26.

The game will be shown live on Fox Footy from 6.30pm and also broadcast live on 91.3 SportFM.

Norwood has won the 2012 and 2013 SANFL premierships but currently sits in just sixth position this season with a 3-5 record while East Perth played off in last year's WAFL grand final, and currently holds third spot in the competition with a 6-2 record.

While East Perth will field a strong team in the Foxtel Cup clash at Patersons Stadium with Josh Smith and Garry Moss returning, and eight West Coast-listed players lining up, only three Norwood premiership players will be playing.

That certainly doesn’t mean that the Redlegs aren’t taking the game seriously or giving it their all with a semi-final berth at stake up against the VFL's Williamstown on Tuesday July 1.

The other Foxtel Cup semi-final will also take place at Patersons Stadium between reigning WAFL premiers West Perth and Tasmania's Western Storm on Tuesday June 24.

The match will be East Perth's first hit out since a thumping 80-point win over Claremont at Leederville's Medibank Stadium back on May 10.

And with East Perth not having a WAFL game until the WA Day Derby against West Perth at Arena Joondalup on Monday, there is plenty of time for the players to back up from the Foxtel Cup.

The Royals had the WAFL bye in Round 9 and then there was the general bye last weekend for the State game that saw the WA team beat the NEAFL at Blacktown in Sydney by 85 points.

There was only one East Perth player in that WAFL representative team and he just happened to be the skipper of WA Brendan Lee who will also back up by playing with the Royals in the Foxtel Cup.

From the East Perth team that beat Claremont three weeks ago, Jacob Brennan, Josh Hill, Sam Butler, Patrick McGinnity, Callum Sinclair, Will Schofield, Jeremy McGovern and Craig Wulff go out of the team.

Brennan, Butler, McGinnity, Sinclair, Schofield and McGovern haven't been released by West Coast to play while Hill played on Saturday night against Collingwood at the MCG. Co-captain Wulff will miss the game due to a finger injury.

Moss, Smith, Callum Hart, Scott Lycett, Mitchell Fraser, Will Magginness, Dean Cadwallader and Julian Locantro are the players to come in for the Royals.

Former Hawthorn player and skilful, and creative left-footer Moss will play his first senior game since requiring a knee reconstruction after suffering the injury in Round 11 last year. He has played two games back in the reserves.

Full-forward Smith will also play his first game since an ankle injury has kept him grounded since Round 4 with Cadwallader also set for his first league appearance since last year's grand final.

All in all, 10 players who represented East Perth in last year's grand final loss to West Perth will be returning to Patersons Stadium to play in the Foxtel Cup.

Norwood has won the last two SANFL premierships but remarkably Liam Davis and Simon Phillips are the only two players from the side that beat North Adelaide by 40 points in the 2013 grand final making the trip to Perth.

Ben Warren, Mitch Grigg, Brett Zorzi, Matt Thomas, Matthew Fuller, Kieran McGuinness, James Aish, Mat Suckling, Jace Bode, Darren Pfeiffer and Lewis Stevenson are among those premiership players not playing having either left the club, being injured or rested from the trip.

And from the team that beat West Adelaide by 49 points in the 2012 grand final, only ruckman Angus Clarke and again Phillips will be there at Patersons Stadium tonight.

East Perth's Nathan Blee is back from two years with Port Adelaide this year and while with the Power he played his SANFL football with North Adelaide.

He played in the losing grand final last year to Norwood so he will be able to add some insight into the Redlegs, but their lack of premiership stars playing in the Foxtel Cup encounter might limit the insight he can provide. 

TEAMS
EAST PERTH
B: Callum Hart (12), Kyle Anderson (6), Brett Dobson (35)
HB: Freddie Clutterbuck (21), Fraser McInnes (29), Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls (16)
C: Adam Carter (5), Ashley Smith (24), Nathan Blee (10)
HF: Steven Payne (2), Scott Lycett (22), Brant Colledge (28)
F: Brendan Lee (7), Josh Smith (15), Mitchell Fraser (3)
RUCK: Paul Johnson (19), Dom Sheed (20), Simon Tunbridge (25)
INT: Will Magginness (4), Dean Cadwallader (1), Julian Locantro (14), Garry Moss (8)
EMG: Malcolm Karpany (26), Steven Wityk (38), Dylan Main (11)

NORWOOD
B: Dylan Aucellio (55), Patrick Levicki (43), Steve Baldasso (29)
HB: Ed O'Connor (27), Alex Forster (11), Matthew Nunn (44)
C: Tom Forster (40), Callum Bartlett (6), Tullio DeMatteis (36)
HF: Anthony Wilson (20), Liam Davis (26), Kane Murphy (17)
F: Peter Persinos (10), Aaron Luccon (34), Simon Phillips (12)
RUCK: Angus Clarke (24), Ryan Reavley (7), Dylan Reinbrecht (9)
INT: Anthony Giannini (1), Tom Clayton (18), Alex McKay (21), Mac Bower (25)
EMG: Kristian Roocke (2), Michael Newton (3), Matt Hallandall (37)