CSU and Barellan have lost key players to suspension ahead of their round five clash on Saturday.
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Bushpigs midfielder Adam Skow and Barellan centre-half-forward James McCabe both copped three-week bans from the AFL Riverina tribunal on Thursday night.
McCabe was found guilty of making unreasonable or unnecessary contact to the face of Coleambally’s Aiden McAdam last week. He could’ve missed two games with an early guilty plea but incurred an extra week when he contested the charge without success.
One of Barellan’s travelling recruits from Canberra, McCabe will miss games against East Wagga-Kooringal and Temora, as well as the CSU encounter.
Skow, meantime, pleaded guilty to striking Northern Jets’ Chris Bell in an incident just before quarter-time in CSU’s win last Saturday. He’ll miss the Bushpigs’ games against Barellan, Marrar and The Rock-Yerong Creek.
It comes on the back of a massive blow for the Pigs, with forward Vas Seker facing 10 weeks on the sideline with a fractured eye socket.
Scans have revealed three breaks around Seker’s eye after a collision with the Jets’ Jordon Wood last week.
“It’s where it happened – it’s right next to the eye and there’s not a lot of protection there,” CSU coach Daniel Athanitis said.
“He’ll be back (later in the year), but when it’s around the eye, you’ve got to be careful.”
Also on CSU’s injury list are Dylan McPhail (shoulder), Jordan Ackland (hamstring), Sam Balding (knee) and Alex Reilly (ankle).
Athanitis said Saturday’s trip to Barellan will be a real test of depth for the rejuvenated Bushpigs.
“I think the way we’ve played this year, the way we’re going about it, people just come in and play the role and we’re able to get it to work,” he said.
“We’re not relying on anyone to get 40 possessions or kick five or six goals. I think we’re defending really well and that’s going to be the big thing.
“But it’s certainly going to be hard up there, it’s always a tough trip to Barellan.”
