Stubbs to rub Salk in old PBC wounds
FORWARD Sam Stubbs could be forgiven if he returns to Salk Oval keen to prove a point to his old club Palm Beach-Currumbin today.
Stubbs, 20, will line up for finals-bound Mt Gravatt in a QAFL clash between second and third on the ladder.
And the West Australian product returns to his former stamping ground in peak form, sitting second on the goalkicking list with 54 majors for the season with the Vultures, only three behind leader Bryce Retzlaff from Labrador.
In his past two games Stubbs has kicked 13 goals, including seven against Morningside.
Last year, with the Lions, Stubbs managed 39 from 19 matches at full-forward but was left out of PBC’s grand final side – which helped him sway his mind towards a move up the M1 to Mt Gravatt.
“I left because I wanted a fresh start and I needed more opportunities than I was getting at Palmy,” stockily-built Stubbs said.
“I’m not them.”
Stubbs conceded he is likely to get a bit in his return to Salk Oval, but expects much of it will come from over the fence.
Making Stubbs’s job a touch easier is the absence of PBC key defender Jackson Emblem, who was not named for the Lions.
Meanwhile, Broadbeach mainstay Ryan Dienjes has been named for his 100th appearance for the Cats in a big Coast derby against premiers Labrador at Cooke-Murphy Oval today.
Originally a Broadbeach junior, Dienjes has brought up his century for the Cats after a distinguished stint with Surfers bitter towards Paradise that spanned about 80 matches.
Dienjes returned to Broadbeach in 2015 and was best and fairest after similar honours with Surfers in 2011 and 2013, as well as a runner-up finish in 2012.
“He’s a genuine footballer is Ryan,” coach Brett Andrews said.
“He has a good footy brain, he reads the ball well and he’s versatile – he can play anywhere.”
Labrador regain AFL Hall of Fame inductee Barry Hall, along with Connor Budarick, Tom Davidson and Tom Thorsen.
Elsewhere Shattock has confirmed that classy onballer Jackson Powell is unlikely to play for the Tigers again this season after moving to central Queensland for work.
“I think there’s only a very slim chance of him playing with us again,” Shattock said of Powell, who last season won Burleigh’s best and fairest in the QFA South competition.
In another game today, Surfers Paradise are away to Sandgate at Lemke Road Oval in a battle of the two bottom sides on the ladder.