Snakes not rushing injury replacement
JORDAN GERRANS THE Taipans will go into Round 9 of the NBL season one contracted player short as the club are yet to consider signing an injury replacement for sidelined guard Dexter Kernich-Drew.
The bottom of the ladder club travelled to Perth last Sunday with just 10 players, with neither of the two development players making the trip, following Kernich-Drew’s injury against Illawarra on Friday evening.
With confirmation of the extent of the reserve shooter’s injuries (he has multiple undisplaced fractures around his eye socket and cheekbone) only coming late on Thursday afternoon, assistant coach Jamie O’Loughlin yesterday morning said the Snakes were yet to even consider their replacement options.
With the former Perth Wildcat expected to miss six weeks through his facial injuries, and with the club on a 10game losing streak leading into Sunday’s match with New Zealand, an immediate injury replacement would be ideal.
Former Brisbane Bullet Shaun Bruce has trained with the club for much of the season, as has Cairns Marlins skipper Anthony Fisher, while the club called up former Illawarra Hawk Cody Ellis during the preseason for a short stint.
Fan favourite Damon Heuir remains unsigned by an NBL club, despite dominating the New Zealand NBL earlier this year as well as consistently performing for the Taipans under old coach Aaron Fearne.
The Cairns Post was yesterday told if the Taipans were to go local for their KernichDrew replacement, it is likely to be Fisher to reward his commitment and efforts over the last few seasons as a development player and QBL mainstay.
The Snakes’ second in charge says an injury replacement may come, but not before Sunday’s clash with the Kiwis.
“At this stage, no,” O’Loughlin said. “We are look- ing at what our options might be if we need to get to that point.
“Right now we have 10 rostered guys and two development players (Fabijan Krslovic and Christian Jurlina) that will suit up as usual for our home games.
“We have 12 healthy guys ready to go into Sunday’s game.”
Asked if Fisher and Bruce were at the top of the Snakes’ shopping list because they had been training with the club, O’Loughlin said “not really”.
“To be honest, we have not discussed who it would be,” he said.
“We always have a shortlist of guys in different positions that are available if we needed someone really, really quickly.
“If we choose we go for that type of player (Fisher and Bruce) they are both very good players and could come into the group, but we are not that far down the line.”