Blues, Lions to unleash prized AFL picks

It’s rare the first and second picks from the same draft go head-to-head in the AFL just months into their careers, but fans can expect Jacob Weitering and Josh Schache to battle it out when Carlton host Brisbane.

Brendon Bolton confirmed Weitering, the Blues’ composed defender taken with the first overall pick in 2015, will spend at least some time on the imposing forward the Lions snapped up at No.2.

The match-up on Saturday will provide a tantalising insight into the future for both clubs, but Bolton said the nature of modern team defence meant it might only be a fleeting glimpse.

“I would have thought at some stage you’ll see that … if we get that match-up it will be exciting for the fans,” Bolton said on Friday.

“I don’t want to overplay that match-up … I think it might happen at some point (but) because we play team defence, it can’t happen all the time.

“Maybe there’s a bit of focus there (for Weitering) if he does but it’s not any broader than the way we go about it.”

Carton will be looking to improve on 11th spot on the ladder by claiming their sixth win of the season, while the 16th-placed Lions are out to snap a six-game losing streak.

The Blues will need to continue their surprising resurgence without Marc Murphy for at least a month, although the skipper won’t require surgery on the ankle he injured in last week’s upset win over Geelong.

“He leaves a hole, no doubt. He’s a quality midfielder,” Bolton said.

“But we can’t rely on one individual. To this point of the year we don’t think we have relied on individuals because we need to be a team that’s about the sum of its parts.”

Small forward Liam Sumner (foot) was the other change made on Thursday night, with Nick Graham and Ciaran Byrne earning call-ups.

Brisbane also made two changes, regaining skipper Tom Rockliff from a hamstring injury and tapping untried former Geelong midfielder Jarrad Jansen for his AFL debut.

Ryan Lester (leg) and Rhys Mathieson (omitted) drop out of the side that pushed Hawthorn for three quarters before being overrun in the final term at the Gabba last week.

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