Jack’s back, but he must watch his step
A CLARENCE star who is walking the tightrope of football deregistration will play his first senior TSL match of 2017 in tomorrow’s mouth-watering clash against Glenorchy at Blundstone Arena.
Jack Gleeson, the reigning club best and fairest, has not played since being slapped with a sixmatch ban for striking Lauderdale’s Blake Newell in the final round last year.
A hamstring complaint has also hampered his progress this year, but after two games in the Mercury Cup he is among a trio of big inclusions for the Roos, who also regain Jake Cox (finger) and key defender Jason Bailey (suspension).
Gleeson has been suspended for 14 matches since 2012 and, under the AFL’s national policy, any player who accumulates 16 matches is prohibited from playing in any registered competition in Tasmania.
Clarence coach Jeromey Webberley expects his midfield bull to bolster the side around the stoppages, an area he identified as a weakness in last week’s win against Launceston.
“He has had a couple of weeks in the twos, he has been really good,” Webberley said. “We think he will come in and help our contested ball, which we struggled with last week. We are excited to get those three guys back in.”
The Magpies promoted young gun Ryan Banks-Smith, while Connor Salter and Mitch Rainbird, who have served one-week bans from the match against the Tigers a fortnight ago, were named emergencies.
While the Bombers were unchanged, Tigers regained young gun forward Hugh Dixon as well as Toby Cowan and Lachlan Gadomski for the trip to Lauderdale.
Dixon has been with the combined Allies team in the division one national under-18 championships, and will further bolster a forward line that included former St Kilda-listed big man Daniel Archer two weeks ago.
“He would have gained so much out of the Allies experience, I think he led the Allies in goalkicking,” coach Aaron Vince said.
“With Daniel Archer there as well, it gives us a couple of big forward targets we haven’t had for the majority of the year.”