Rivers to lead Dees' Defence*

[Bartram_Class]

*Subject to injury

Pretty boring fluff piece that we get every year about this time for JR, only difference being this year he has played a couple of pre-season games.

JARED Rivers is looking forward to adding some experience to a green Demons defence after two horror years with injury.

The 24-year-old, with 70 AFL games to his name, has played just nine of those in the past two years, undergoing three groin operations during that time.

He was also hampered by a minor ankle injury early this pre-season.

But, after returning to play two practice matches and with another warm-up game with VFL club Casey to come this weekend, Rivers is confident he will be ready to take a leading defensive role in the round one clash with North Melbourne.

"I've done all the training, played a couple of games, I'll have a run around with Casey this weekend as well to try to get some more match fitness into me and I'll be putting my hand up for round one," Rivers said on Friday.

He said his two pre-season games, both played in wet conditions on heavy grounds, had added confidence his body was ready to endure a full season.

"I'm very confident about my body," he said.

"it's been two years where I haven't played a lot of footy, nine games in two years so it's definitely been hurting me for the last couple of years.

"I'm definitely looking forward to getting out there and trying to help the boys win some games."

He will be surrounded mainly by young, inexperienced defensive colleagues such as Colin Garland, James Frawley, Stefan Martin and Simon Buckley.

They face a tough initial test, with the Roos' attack likely to boast the extreme height and marking power of David Hale and Drew Petrie, as well as the likes of Matt Campbell and Lindsay Thomas at ground level.

But Rivers was confident the Demons' backmen were ready.

"They've been great this pre-season," he said.

"It's been one of the best performed lines in the team we've had, so they're looking great, we're looking forward to round one against North Melbourne."

"They've definitely got some really big forwards ... it's going to be a tough game first up but we go into the game pretty confident we can match it with them."

 

[Dez!]

Oh great, he's confident about his body.

Pencil him in for a season ending injury at the 20 second mark of the first quarter of the first game and that's only if he sits out the warm up.