Brisbane fit in another intra-club game for injured trio

Brisbane has reshuffled its players’ CBA leave in order to squeeze in a final intra-club game after conceding a trio of senior players were unlikely to be fit for JLT Community Series ­action.

Brisbane recruit Marcus Adams, with Lachie Neale, could be unsighted during the JLT Series for his new club. Picture: Getty Images

Brisbane has reshuffled its players’ CBA leave in order to squeeze in a final intra-club game after conceding senior players Darcy Gardiner, Marcus Adams and Stef Martin were unlikely to be fit for JLT Community Series ­action.

The Lions usually give their players four days off, as negotiated in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, over the weekend between the end of the JLT Series and the start of the AFL premiership season.

SCRATCH MATCH: SUNS SIGNAL THEIR INTENT IN TRIAL WIN

PRE-SEASON: LIONS TO PLAY THEIR BEST TEAM

However, this year they scheduled that break last week to leave them with the option of playing one final intra-club scratch match on that bye weekend to give the injured trio an opportunity for a competitive hit-out.

Football manager David Noble confirmed it was unlikely any of the players in question would be ready for the final JLT game, against Melbourne on Saturday week.

“Maybe at a stretch Darcy or Stef could get up for the second JLT game but at this stage we think we might use that weekend for a final hit-out,’’ he said.

“The older they get and when they have played a lot of games they have the capacity to go into a premiership match without much match practice, so we’re comfortable there.’’

Stefan Martin is unlikely to be ready for the Lions’ final JLT game. Picture: Getty Images

The Lions will play their first game of the pre-season tournament against Hawthorn at Burpengary on Sunday.

They will stick with the trial of Harris Andrews in attack for periods of the JLT despite the injuries to defenders Gardiner and Adams.

Andrews had a tough afternoon at Metricon Stadium on Saturday against Suns defender Rory Thompson.

He got in position on a few occasions to take a contested mark deep in attack but his normally sure hands deserted him. He finished the game back in defence.

Stand-in coach Jed Adcock said it was always the intention for Andrews to spend time at both ends of the ground and they had seen enough from him in the forward fifty to continue with the trial.

The Lions will persist with Harris Andrews in attack. Picture: Getty Images

“The ball coming in forward wasn’t that clean for him and then when he went back we had probably already started to swing the game a little bit back our way,’’ he said.

Gold Coast must make some tough selection decisions to insert leaders David Swallow, Touk Miller, Pearce Hanley and ruckman Jarrod Witts as well as AFLX players Jack Martin, Jarrod Harbrow and Lachie Weller into the side.

That is because some youngsters grabbed their opportunity with both hands in the trial against Brisbane on Saturday.

Second-year player Wil Powell was a standout on a wing and No.3 draft pick Izak Rankine shone up forward.