An ankle injury at Fremantle's intra-club late last week has forced key defender Alex Pearce to miss this Saturday's highly anticipated Indigenous All-Star fixture, with his replacement now named.
Pearce's absence is a further blow to the All Stars, who will also be without key Bulldogs duo Liam Jones (hamstring) and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (personal issues) for the Fremantle clash.
2016 premiership defender and current Sydney Swans utility Joel Hamling has been called upon to fill the void left by Pearce and will line up alongside fellow premiership big man Steven May in a key defensive partnership that will look to shut down the dangerous duo of Josh Treacy and Jye Amiss.
Indigenous All Stars coach Xavier Clarke lamented the loss of Pearce but remained upbeat in the wake of Hamling's addition to the team.
"While we'll miss Alex Pearce's presence due to his injury, Joel's addition strengthens our already talented squad," he said in a statement.
"We're looking forward to seeing the impact he'll make in what promises to be an exciting and important match for the Indigenous All-Stars.
"Joel's experience and leadership will be a great asset to the team."
Hamling, of Yorta Yorta Indigenous descent, has struggled for continuity throughout his 13-year career, playing just the 91 games due to an unfortunate run of injuries with both Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs.
The 31-year-old does however appear to have put his injury problems behind him, enjoying a healthy start to life in red and white, playing 17 games and kicking 31 goals in a new role up forward for the Swans' VFL side last season. This impressive output saw Hamling finish top 10 in the VFL goalkicking charts.
Although Hamling was unlucky to miss out on senior selection in 2024, with word of Tom McCartin transitioning up forward ahead of the new season, Hamling may well find his chance back behind the ball in the Swans' best 22.
