No.1 ruckman Kenrick Tyrrell is among five players ruled out of the Queensland squad for the clash with WA in Perth on 18 June.
Thursday 9 June 2011
The Queensland side has suffered a heavy body blow ahead of the interstate clash with Western Australia in Perth on 18 June, with No.1 ruckman Kenrick Tyrrell among five players ruled out of the preliminary squad.
Tyrrell, such a key in Queensland’s record-breaking 2010 win over Tasmania and the NT Thunder’s unbeaten start to the 2011 NEAFL season, has succumbed to a knee problem and will not be considered when the final side is chosen next week.
Also ruled out through injury were Redland forward James Charlesworth, who kicked give goals against the Tasmanians last year, and Labrador defender Steve Wrigley, who was chasing his first Queensland jumper.
Charlesworth has an ankle problem and Wrigley a bad hamstring.
Also, Aspley’s former Brisbane Lions AFL premiership player Robbie Copeland has reluctantly made himself unavailable, and Brisbane Lions rookie Mitch Golby was declared ineligible after he was elevated to the club’s senior list today ahead of his AFL debut on Saturday.
Queensland coach Jason Cotter said he understood and accepted Copeland’s withdrawal.
“He’s a veteran and his body is pretty sore – he’s struggling to come up each week,” Cotter explained.
“We’d love to take blokes like (ex-AFL players) Robbie Copeland and Trent Knobel but reality is they’ve been servants of the game for a long time and their body needs a rest,” he said.
“The program is mainly about giving young kids a go and this just means someone else will get an opportunity to show what they can do at the next level.”
Of the loss of Tyrrell, Cotter was equally philosophical. “It’s a big out because he’s a very good player but better now than having him go down in the first 30 seconds of the game because his knee wasn’t quite right,” he said.
“He’s out, along with the other guys, and there’s nothing we can do about it – it’s not as if we don’t have other options.”
Tyrrell’s absence could thrust Aspley big man Declan Bevan into a shared ruck role with Brisbane Lions Irish rookie Niall McKeever in what would be the first game at this level for both players.
Cotter and his selectors will have one last look at prospective players this weekend before finalizing the side he will take to Perth next week.
Barring something out of the blue, the 23-man side will come from what is now a 34-man squad, he said.
“We’re always on the look-out for talent but there haven’t been too many players outside the squad putting their hand up over the last couple of weeks,” Cotter said.
“We’re hoping we get through the weekend without any more injuries – if someone picks up a bad corkie you’re hardly like to take them when we’ve got a five-hour flight ahead of us.”
Mt.Gravatt midfielder Ash Evans, a proven State performer who was late starter this year due to injury, was one who may have forced his way into the squad but he is understood to have his own fresh injury concerns.
The revised Queensland squad is:: Declan Bevan, Reece Toye (Aspley), Niall McKeever (Brisbane Lions), Kallen Geary, Dayne Zorko (Broadbeach), Jake Crawford, Joel Tippett (Gold Coast Suns), Ryan Davey, Todd Grayson, Michael Gugliotta (Labrador), Kent Abey, Caleb Brown, Paul Shelton, Adam Spackman (Morningside), Nathan Gilliland, Gavin Grose, John James, Albert Proud, Nathan Reid, Chris Smith, Josh Vearing (Mt Gravatt), Darren Ewing, Cameron Ilett, Karl Lohde, Shaun Tapp, Ross Tungatalum, Iggy Vallejo (NT Thunder), Scott Clouston, Brad Howard, Trent Manzone, Josh Pullman (Redland), Kurt Niklaus, Matt Payne, Danny Wise (Southport).
