Pies’ injuries piling up

GLENORCHY’S battle with injuries has almost reached tipping point with star Jaye Bowden out for tomorrow’s clash with North Launceston in Launceston.

Bowden, a three-times TSL best-and-fairest winner, will miss the vital trip north for the third-placed Pies against the second-placed Northern Bombers with an ankle injury that he had been managing in recent weeks, with a scan to determine how long the versatile star will miss.

Magpies coach Paul Kennedy said they could have as many as 18 to 22 players missing for this game through injury with Clinton French, Sam Reeves, Bayley Bester and Matt Dilger facing fitness tests while Joel Millhouse has already been ruled out from last round’s win over the Tigers.

“He [Bowden] has been playing through it for a while but now he’s not bouncing back,” Kennedy said. “He’s been playing in a variety of spots so it doesn’t leave a hole in a particular position, but it does take a very, very good player out of our side. Last week was the first week we spoke about injuries with the players, it was becoming the elephant in the room.

“But the guys have done a great job and pride themselves on standing up in these circumstances.”

Glenorchy is not alone though, with the Tigers’ quest to pinch fourth spot from Launceston dealt a blow with key forward Michael Paul re-injuring his hamstring (out three weeks), while Lachlan Gadomski returns to the Devils after three games with the Tigers.

But Tigers coach Trent Baumeler said with the emergence of Tyler Carter, Luke Graham and Elijah Reardon, his side still had plenty of claws in attack. “Yes we’d love to have Mike out there and playing but we still think we’ve got some tricky match-ups up there as well,” Baumeler said.

North Hobart’s hunt for its first win of the season was boosted with former AFL players Colin Garland (hamstring) and Sam Darley (illness), and key defender Bailey Walker (calf) all returning to take on fellow struggler Clarence.