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Upgraded Holmes named in Saints Round 9 team

  • Thursday, May 19 2016 @ 10:40 pm ACST
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St Kilda today upgraded International Rookie Jason Holmes to the senior list and he was tonight named in their 25-man squad to play Essendon on Sunday.  The American has been biding his time playing at Sandringham in the VFL this season after debuting in Round 21 in 2015 for the Saints and played in the last three matches of the season at AFL level.
 
This season he has played for the Saints in the pre-season NAB Challenge but has since gained further experience playing as a key forward as well as in the ruck in five matches for Sandringham.  Last week he had 8 disposals and 23 hit-outs for the Zebras against Casey Scorpions as his team went down by 31 points.  He has kicked two goals this season, one each against Box Hill and Richmond.  Against Footscray in Round 2 he probably played the best match of the year so far with 38 hit-outs and 6 tackles.
 
Fellow American Mason Cox was named at full forward for Collingwood after he seemed to have overcome having his hand stomped on during the match against Brisbane last weekend.  If Holmes does play on Sunday (and Mason Cox plays as selected at Collingwood) it will be the first time two players from the USA have played in the same AFL round.

It's still early days for Carlton's own American International rookie Matt Korcheck. Thrown straight in the deep end of VFL football, Korcheck is doing better than treading water at the Northern Blues. He may not be racking up the disposals, but his ruckwork is coming along very nicely and the big fella has no problem getting in for a tackle or contesting the ball that does not clear the contest. Against Casey Scorpions two weeks ago he racked up 42 hit-outs and followed up last week with 28 hit-outs against Williamstown. He is rotating between the bench, the ruck and the forward line. He has not managed to score a major for the Northern Blues as yet but surely he will soon convert successfully.

Speaking of the deep end, media speculation this week has thrust American Brandon Kaufman towards a Gold Coast Suns debut. Kaufman is an international scholarship player at the club and after starting at the Labrador Tigers Reserves in the AFLQ on ANZAC Day weekend is quickly moving up.. This week played in the NEAFL for the GC Sun's reserves team. Kaufman seems to be making the transition to the Aussie game well as he was named best (with 11 disposals and 2 marks) for the injury depleted Suns in their match where they were heavily defeated by the GWS Giants.  For Kaufman to play in the AFL this season the club would need to first sign him mid season as an International Rookie (which would be a first for any AFL Club) and then upgrade him to the senior list in place of a player who would go onto the long term injury list.  This did not happen and Kaufman will not make that suggested debut this week at least.