Southport welcome back goal ace Mitch

SOUTHPORT will welcome back their leading goal kicker Mitchell Johnson as they try to navigate their way through a tough period of the 2018 draw.

Johnson has missed three weeks of football due to a twoweek suspension and Southport’s Round 8 bye.

But the competition’s second most prominent goal kicker, who has slotted 23 majors already this season, will come back to help the Sharks bounce back from consecutive losses to the Sydney Swans and Gold Coast Suns when they take on Sydney University at Fankhauser Reserve today.

“(Johnson) is our main goal scorer so it will be good to have him back in the side,” Sharks coach Stephen Daniel said.

He is one of three inclusions in Southport’s side, along with Jack O’Shea an Jaicob Kenny.

Southport have lost Jayden Young to a groin injury, Tom Ellard has been dropped and ruckman Fraser Thurlow will miss the next five weeks after travelling to the UK to work with the English Premier League.

Southport sit third on the ladder with five wins and three losses and are eight points shy of leaders Sydney University.

The Sharks came up against strengthened Swans and Suns outfits boasting listed AFL players in their past two games but were in a position to beat Gold Coast before a thirdquarter slump cost them.

“We think we are coming along OK,” Daniel said.

“Unfortunately in the last couple of weeks we copped a very good Sydney Swans outfit and then we copped a Gold Coast Suns team rolling out good numbers and we just weren’t good enough to get over the line. We’re looking forward to trying to bounce back and what better way than against the best non-AFL club in the competition.

“Our draw through the middle of the season has been tough. Played some good football but haven’t been able to get over the line.”