Mariners face their acid tests

THE next three games are critical for Tassie Mariners aspiring to play for the Allies combined team at the AFL National Under-18 championship in June, says coach Lance Spaulding.

The Mariners leave for Queensland today to prepare for their third game of the National Academy Series match against the Brisbane Lions Academy on the Gold Coast tomorrow.

They beat the Gold Coast by 45 points two weeks ago and the Northern Territory by 15 points last weekend.

They play Brisbane, followed by Sydney Swans and Greater Western Sydney Giants, after which the best academy players will be selected for the Allies.

“We are trying to get as many players in the Allies as we can,” Spaulding said.

“We have half a dozen players who will be a good chance. It depends on how they play. These next three games are going to be very important to them.”

The Lions will be tougher to skin. “They are a very big side, so if we play our brand of footy, we’ll be OK,” Spaulding said. “We’ve got to use the ball really well and if we play attacking footy we’ll win.”

Launceston key forward Joseph Chaplin and Kingborough Tiger onballer Oliver Burrows-Cheng will both play their first academy games. The game is at 10am.

TEAM: Baxter Norton, Blair Rubock, Rhyan Mansell, Miller Hodge, Jared Dakin, Chayce Jones, Ethan Jackson, Mitchel Anderton, Ryan Banks-Smith, Matthew McGuinness, Nicholas Baker, Lachlan Gadomski, Thomas Mundy, Jamieson House, Thomas Donnelly, Joseph Chaplin, Jake Steele, Oliver Burrows-Cheng, Alec Wright, Timothy Auckland.