This week the Tradelink Western Magpies will host 4th placed NT Thunder at its Chelmer home Wildbrook Wines Park at 2pm while the Reserves will take on Broadbeach at 11.15am. It was only 5 weeks ago that the Magpies fell away drastically after a very promising start in Alice Springs to be humbled by the Thunder. The boys will be looking for a much improved performance at home back in black and white particularly following on from their best performance of the year last up at home against the Brisbane Lions.
One of the underestimated hinderances to the Tradelink Western Magpies return to the QAFL has been the number of season ending surgeries the club has had to endure and it has unfortunately continued this week to total no less than 5 for the season. It is suspected that Matt Benneson who broke into the Senior team only two weeks ago is suspected to have ruptred his ACL on Wednesday night at training. He will join co-captains Chris Mihalopoulos (ACL) and Mark Dowley (Patella Reconstruction) on the sidleines along with young guns Zaine Pringle (broken leg) and Dominic Beer (Shoulder Reconstruction) in what has been a shocking season of long term injuries for the Pies.
Despite this the Magpies will soldier on as another youngster may get the nod in Nick Ilesea who has been named in the squad of 25 and if he makes his debut following a good month the talented youngster will be the 40th player to represent the Western Magpies in season 2009. Along with the potential for another debut Paul Grentell has opted to inject some experience back into his team with Reid Dobson, Ian Carroll and Tom Power named in the squad.
Some of the key match ups for the day should provide some great entertainment but Luke Scott in recent blistering form at full back could be a surprise for Darren Ewing who will be looking to take top spot on the QAFL goal kicking list with Redland's Jason Eagle missing this week through suspension. The Jones boy was inspirational at full back last week on Shane Morrison and would love to continue that form against Ewing this week. Jye Spencer was one of the upsides in Alice springs doing a tagging job on Thunder skipper Jarrod Illet and will no doubt be craving the opportunity to clamp down on him even tighter tomorrow.
Ben Heffernan-Roper continues to be the msot consistent performer in the Magpies outfitt and needs another big performance if they are to creat an opprtunity to carck it for the first win of the year and a solid 4 quarter performance from Val Pope could be the X factor if he can produce as he continues to recieve heavy attention from all opposition. Most of all the Magpies need to score goals and the return of Josh Barton will assist and the Magpie forward set up could be tweaked as the search to kick a winning score continues.
The line up is attached.
"Swoop 09"
Last Modified on 26/06/2009 12:55