PALM Beach-Currumbin have decided to risk playing match-shy big man Lyndsay Bredenoord to ease a chronic ruck shortage for the preliminary final against Noosa at Sir Bruce Small Park.
by Terry Wilson
Gold Coast Bulletin
Bredenoord, who has not played senior football since early in the season, has been called on to fill the gaps left by injured ruck pair Aaron Lohrey (fractured eye socket) and Michael I’Anson (dislocated shoulder) against the Tigers (2.30pm start).
The Lions are confident the veteran Bredenoord will stand up, saying he has been training for cage fighting and plays regularly with in the Old Boys (over-35s competition.
“No, not really,” replied captain Darryl Dyson when asked if it was expecting to much to rush Bredenoord into the side.
“He trains for fighting and he’s still in as good a nick as early in the year.”
Dyson revealed there is a burning desire to beat Noosa to get another crack at the Western Magpies, who smashed the Lions by 78 points in the major semi-final last weekend.
As disappointed as Dyson was about losing so badly to the Magpies, he knows the Lions can do a lot better.
“I guess the first half, after losing our two talls, we hung in and fought really well,” Dyson said.
“But after half-time we lost our way a bit, the effort was just not there.
PBC have named Bredenoord, defender Matt Boyd and Bryce and Tyson Dyer on an extended interchange-from bench.
Noosa have been handed a tough gig that has the Tigers on their second trip from the northern tip of the Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast in three weeks.
But coach Wayne Fletcher is as upbeat as ever.
“It just goes with the territory,” he said.
“We can’t be concerned about it. We’re just happy to be where we’re at.”
And of playing at Small Park, the roomy field where the Tigers have not had the best of results in recent years?
“At the end of the day it’s a footy ground with goalposts at both ends, it’s more the way we play,” he said.
Fletcher watched Palm Beach’s slaughtering at the hands of Western Magpies last weekend but, rather than be surprised by the result, understands the situation given the Lions lost Lohrey and I’Anson.
“Obviously being two down early, in particular big blokes, did not help their cause,” he said. “It upsets your rotations, etc.”
Noosa have just the one change, bringing back young Jake Hawksworth in place of defender Jack Tickner.
“Jack is very unlucky, but Hawks gives us plenty of options, he can fill in wherever required,” Fletcher said.
Fletcher said strongmen Adam Bovalino and Peter Trompf will again miss with on-going injuries.
