LIONS HAMSTRUNG FOR CATS CLASH
PALM Beach Currumbin star Liam Jones will miss the Lions’ massive Gold Coast QAFL derby with Broadbeach on Saturday due to a hamstring injury.
Lions coach Russell Maloney confirmed his star defender suffered the injury in the third quarter of last weekend’s loss to Redland-victoria Point and would miss at least the pivotal Cats clash as a result.
“He did his hammy in the third quarter but kept playing, just kicking on his left (foot),” Maloney said of the ex-carlton AFL player.
“He was restricted. He couldn’t jump, couldn’t sprint. He hasn’t been able to get up this week but we’re hopeful of getting him back for next week or the week after.”
Jones’ omission could not come at a worse time for the Lions, who host unbeaten reigning premiers Broadbeach at Veracity Oval on Saturday.
Reigning Grogan Medallist and leading goalkicker Jordan Moncrieff has been in fine form for the Cats despite a disrupted start to his 2022 season.
He kicked four goals as the Cats beat-up on Mt Gravatt last round, belying the wet conditions.
Moncrieff and Jones’ battle would have been an early season highlight but now Maloney will have to rely on his back six getting the job done without arguably the competition’s best defender in the mix.
The Lions are part of a four-team logjam on 16 points and the Cats’ test comes at the end of a challenging month of fixtures that included premiership contenders Labrador and Redland-victoria Point.
Though Palm Beach lost against both the Tigers and Sharks, Maloney’s side was far from outclassed.
“Now we’re finishing the month off with the biggest (test) of the three,” Maloney said.
“Labrador and Redlands could have both gone either way. This one is a little harder but after this we’ll know where we are. (Broadbeach) is due to lose one and hopefully that is this Saturday.”
After missing the finals last season Palm Beach has been one of the surprise packets of 2022 and looks a likely finals contender if early season form holds true.
The inclusion of former premiership-winning midfielders Thomas Thynne and Tyler Cornish to the mix has made the Lions’ engine room hum this season but Maloney lamented a lack of options up forward as a key area of concern.
“It’s the same issue – we can’t score,” the coach said.
“We get it inside (50) as much as anyone else but we just can’t convert.
“We lack (last season’s star forward) Jack Anthony. He would mark it 60m out and kick them. Now we get it inside 50 ten times more than the opposition and can’t score.
“You have to score to win and we can’t at the moment. That’s what we have to work on.”
Palm Beach’s attacking potency will be put to the ultimate test by the competition’s most miserly defence in Broadbeach.
Round 8 features a number of massive matches outside the LionsCats blockbuster.
It starts at Cooke-murphy Oval where Labrador hosts Maroochydore in a repeat of the 2021 semi-final.
The Tigers travelled to Maroochydore in round one this season and left 75-point victors.
Both teams’ matches were postponed last weekend due to wet weather and the two finals hopefuls need a win this weekend to stay entrenched in top four calculations.
Surfers Paradise hosts Wilston Grange at Sir Bruce Small Oval and will fancy its chances of a first win of the season after coming so close last weekend against Noosa.
Away from the Coast, Redlands and Aspley will clash in a massive top four-shaping clash, while Mt Gravatt hosts Noosa and Sherwood and Morningside go head-to-head.