Named in North’s initial 25-man squad on Thursday afternoon, Goldstein was under pressure to retain his position for the Roos with Currie’s outstanding form. Brad Scott and the match committee however opted to put their faith in the number 22 for the opening match against the Magpies on Sunday.
“It was a very, very close call,” Scott told NMFC.com.au shortly after the selection meeting at Aegis Park.
“The bottom line is that we’ve gone with what we know. We find it very difficult to play two ruckman these days, but we definitely feel that we’ve got two quality ruckmen on our list.
“Competition is a good thing and we’re in a better place than we’d thought we’d be after trading Hamish McIntosh.”
Meanwhile Majak Daw has been named for the first time in his career and could make his debut at Etihad Stadium. The Sudanese-born recruit has had a remarkable progression since being picked up in the 2009 Rookie Draft. Taylor Hine could also make his first appearance for North alongside Ben Jacobs who was told of his selection during training.
Aaron Mullet has been rewarded for a solid pre-season and has been named on the opposite wing to Kieran Harper and former Hawk listed player Will Sierakoski’s name also features.
As expected, the Kangaroos will field a tall forward line with Drew Petrie, Robbie Tarrant and Lachlan Hansen listed with Leigh Adams completing his rehabilitation after getting a spot on an extended bench.
