Young guns return for Devils’ interstate game
AFTER showing their talents to AFL recruiters in competitions interstate, teenage tyros Oliver Davis and Sam Collins return for the Tasmania Devils ahead of their clash with Queensland on the Gold Coast on Friday.
Davis and Collins will join the Devils under-19 side for the clash in a meeting designed to make up for the NAB League season ending prematurely due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The Devils under-17 team will also play their Queensland counterparts.
Davis is back from his foray into the SANFL with Adelaide and Collins is back from Victoria and his time with the Oakleigh Chargers.
Devils interim coach Mathew Armstrong said the
Queensland game was a key part of the lead-up to the 2021 AFL National Draft, as well as blowing out the cobwebs for Davis and Collins, who will play for the Allies in two weeks.
“Because we weren’t able to travel to Victoria for NAB League games, we’ve had to organise other games to show off our boys,” Armstrong said.
“Queensland is going OK in terms of Covid-19 so we’re going to play them on the Gold Coast, leaving on Thursday, playing on Friday and home that night so the boys can watch the AFL grand final on Saturday.”
Armstrong said “numerous” Devils would benefit from the game against Queensland, but captain Sam Banks would be missing due to surgery on his troublesome wrist.
“Players like Will Spann,
Tyler McGinnis, Ollie Sanders, Jye Menzie, Baynen Lowe – there’s quite a few of them,” Armstrong said.
“Sam Collins and Ollie Davis will play in the Allies, and Sam hasn’t played any games for a while because Oakleigh haven’t been able to play for some time.
“There’s a fair bit of interest in Ollie Davis. Both boys have been back training with us for a week or so.
“There’s a lot riding on this game for our boys so to have the opportunity to go and play in Queensland is pretty important.”