Lauderdale shuffles its registered players as VFL-listed pair named for State League debuts
Lauderdale has delisted two players and looks set to rush VFL-listed duo Nathan Oakes and Luke Nelson straight into State League action on Saturday.
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LAUDERDALE has rushed VFL-listed pair Luke Nelson and Nathan Oakes straight into its 22 for their State League clash with North Hobart on Saturday.
Nelson and Oakes, who only completed their 14 days of self isolation on Wednesday after arriving from Melbourne, were on Richmond’s VFL list for the 2020 season.
When the Tigers pulled out of the competition, Oakes joined Casey but after one training session with the Demons, that club also withdrew due to the COVID-19 concerns.
The duo have been registered with AFL Tasmania — with the Bombers delisting Nicholas Connors and Jeffrey McDonald to remain under the limit of four interstate recruits.
Lauderdale was denied an application for an exemption to keep McDonald on its list as a development league player.
Connors, a recruiter with AFL club Fremantle, has regained employment with the Dockers and notified the Bombers he would not be available for the entirety of the 2020 campaign.
“At the beginning of last week they [Fremantle] contacted Nicholas and they want him to recommence work,” Lauderdale president Julie Kay said.
“Under normal circumstances he would have flown straight back to Melbourne but with the lockdown the office is closed.
“He is staying here working remotely.
“Jeffrey found last week pretty tough, I think from his own admission he felt the standard of TSL was a bit high for him.”
Kay said there has been discussions with McDonald potentially joining an SFL club.
Oakes and Nelson are among six changes at the Bombers, who lose Mitch Anderton to concussion and Jarrod Westell to injury, while Nick Raglione and Liam Gallagher have been omitted.
The Demons regain creative forward Sean Willis after he was a late withdrawal last week.
Coach Richard Robinson expects there to be numerous late changes as players recondition themselves to contact.
“To be honest, it is a bit of wait and see. I would imagine all clubs are in the same boat, we have to have our sides in by Thursday 4pm,” Robinson said.
“There is generally going to be a couple of changes throughout every club, just due to the nature of only a couple of weeks of contact before the first game.
“I am being honest, we have got boys who are sore, we just have to manage them during the week, making sure they are ready to go on Saturday.”
Elsewhere, Launceston coach Mitch Thorp will return for the clash against the Tigers, who have named the same 22 which went down to North Hobart.
Glenorchy was forced into three changes for its match against Clarence, with Ryan Banks-Smith suspended and Jon Geard and Ben Kamaric injured.
Jaye Bowden and Mitch Rainbird headline the inclusions, while Josh Green will play his first match for the season for the Roos.
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