Article courtesy of The Courier Ballarat

REIGNING joint best and fairest Matt Sharkey makes his first senior appearance for North Ballarat for the year against Collingwood at Princes Park in the Victorian Football League tomorrow.

Sharkey did enough in the reserves on Sunday to convince coach Gerard FitzGerald that he is ready to return after a hip injury.

He has been named in a back pocket as a straight replacement for Shannon Watt, who has been recalled by North Melbourne.

Watt was among the best in the Selkirk Roosters' 14-point win over Sandringham and steps into the vacancy left by the injured Lachie Hansen (hamstring).

FitzGerald said, although Sharkey had had an interrupted pre-season, the quality of his work before the Christmas-New Year break and over the past three weeks ensured he was right to make his return.

While Sharkey has been given the green light, big marking forward Paul McMahon is under an injury cloud.

McMahon, who did not miss a match in his first season in the VFL last year, sprained an ankle at training on Wednesday night. FitzGerald said he did not believe the injury was too bad, but McMahon would be assessed at training at Learmonth tonight.

As well as Sharkey, North Ballarat has called up North Melbourne rookie Cruize Garlett, Grant Bell and Rohan McHugh to be part of an extended interchange.

Garlett is coming back from an ankle injury and, like Sharkey, had his first outing in the reserves at Sandringham.

The Roosters will have to trim four players from the squad.

After being able to play 23 players last round, VFL teams now revert to a four-man interchange bench.

North Ballarat
B: Sharkey, Moloney, Greig
HB: Hall, Searl, Feery
C: Roach, Clifton, W. Benjamin
HF: Jones, Cartledge, Wundke
F: Driscoll, Jo. Smith, Dinnell
Foll: Stephenson, Goodes, Sewell
Int:  Richardson, Garlett, McMahon, Spolding, White, McHugh, McKenzie, Bell