Werribee has named its 18th debutant of the 2026 season, with ruckman Caiden Gardiner set to make his VFL and Werribee debut as a late inclusion for today's clash against the Tasmania Devils.

The 23-year-old comes into the side in place of key forward Will Elliott, whose withdrawal means he will miss his first game of the 2026 season.

Gardiner earns his opportunity after an injury-interrupted first season at Melbourne Avalon Airport Oval, overcoming two long-term hamstring injuries to finally make his first appearance in the black and gold.

Originally from Cairns, Gardiner relocated to Victoria ahead of the 2026 season after signing his maiden VFL contract with Werribee following a standout campaign with Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldogs in AFL Cairns. The former rugby player made the switch to Australian rules football before developing into one of AFL Cairns' dominant ruckmen.

The 206cm ruckman was one of the competition's dominant big men in 2025, averaging 40 hitouts and 11 disposals per game to earn AFL Cairns Team of the Year selection and finish runner-up in Centrals Trinity Beach's best-and-fairest.

His first season at Werribee was disrupted before it had even begun after suffering a long-term hamstring injury during pre-season, preventing him from featuring in any practice matches.

Gardiner returned to football with new local club Grovedale for the opening two rounds of the Geelong Football Netball League before another hamstring injury sidelined him for more than three months.

After returning over the past fortnight, the young ruckman has quickly rediscovered his best form, earning his VFL debut following an impressive performance against Newtown & Chilwell last weekend.

Gardiner collected 17 disposals, 16 contested possessions, five clearances, seven score involvements, 37 hitouts and two goals in the loss, continuing a strong return that has seen him kick three goals across his last two matches.

Across his four games for Grovedale this season, Gardiner has averaged 14.2 disposals, 12 contested possessions, 5.0 clearances, 37.0 hitouts and 10.2 hitouts to advantage per game. His hitouts to advantage average would rank second across the Geelong FNL.

The late change comes alongside the two changes confirmed at selection on Friday, with Jordan Busuttil returning for his first game since Round 16 after recovering from a calf injury, while Noah Tullio has been recalled for his 16th appearance of the season.

The trio replace Jay Dahlhaus (concussion), Nash King and the withdrawn Elliott.

Today's clash against the Tasmania Devils gets underway at 11:05am at North Hobart Oval and will be broadcast nationally on 7plus, while also streaming live and free on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App.