19 year-old Ryan Harwood has been elevated to the senior side and will line up for his first AFL match against the Cats this Saturday.
Harwood was recruited to the Lions from Glenorchy in Tasmania with Pick No.47 overall in the 2009 AFL National Draft.
Lions Recruiting Manager Graeme Hadley believed the young Tasmanian showed great potential in the midfield.
"He is a tough-as-nails inside midfielder who was selected in the All-Australian team after the 2009 U18 Championships," Hadley said.
"He is highly skilled and rarely plays a bad game."
Harwood has since impressed with the Lions Reserves side - particularly in recent weeks - and the Club's Match Committee have rewarded his efforts with his first senior call-up.
He will be joined in the side by Aaron Cornelius, James Hawksley and Albert Proud who were also included in the final team.
Cornelius returns for his fourth senior match of 2010 after booting seven goals with the Reserves last week.
Hawksley will make his first senior appearance since the Round 13 loss to Richmond while Proud will line up for only his third senior game for 2010.
Tom Collier, Justin Sherman and Travis Johnstone were all omitted from the side that was comprehensively beaten by Hawthorn last week while Ash McGrath will be sidelined for one game courtesy of a suspension handed down by the AFL Match Review Panel.
The Lions’ full Round 17 team is as follows:
B: Brent Staker (14), Daniel Merrett (21), Joel Patfull (24)
HB: Pearce Hanley (42), Matt Maguire (36), Daniel Rich (10)
C: Jack Redden (30), Jared Brennan (17), Tom Rockliff (38)
HF: Luke Power (6), Jonathan Brown (16), Amon Buchanan (33)
F: Aaron Cornelius (44), Brendan Fevola (5), Todd Banfield (18)
Foll: Mitch Clark (1), Michael Rischitelli (35), James Polkinghorne (31)
Int: James Hawksley (12), Matthew Leuenberger (23), Ryan Harwood (26), Albert Proud (2)
Emerg: Tom Collier (22), Justin Sherman (11), Cheynee Stiller (32)
IN: Aaron Cornelius, James Hawksley, Albert Proud, Ryan Harwood
OUT: Ash McGrath (suspended), Tom Collier (omitted), Justin Sherman (omitted), Travis Johnstone (omitted)
NEW: Ryan Harwood (Glenorchy, TAS)
NB: Senior Coach Michael Voss will appear as a special guest on Channel Seven's AFL Game Day program this Sunday 25 July.
Voss will speak with host Hamish McLachlan and the AFL Game Day panel including former Richmond legend Matthew Richardson, dual premiership captain Tom Harley and the Herald Sun’s Mark Robinson. Times are as follows:
Channel 7: 10am - 11am (Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth)
7TWO (72): 10am - 11am (Sydney, Brisbane)
