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Injury hits the Tasmanian state team.
Tasmanian state coach Brett Geappen has lost his skipper, and his most versatile tall is also in doubt.
The squad had its first training session last week without Brady Jones, who has been all but ruled out of leading Tasmania for a third consecutive year.
He copped a heavy blow in a league match, suffering broken ribs and serious bruising.
Sam Siggins participation is unclear, since walking out on Lauderdale a fortnight ago.
Siggins did not train with the state squad and Geappen reportedly said he would need to decide his future soon to have any chance of pulling on the state jumper.
Livewire Thor Boscott has withdrawn with a broken foot.
North Launceston ruckman-forward Alex Lee, former basketballer Ben Richmond (Devonport) and Ryan Wiggins (Lauderdale) have been added to the 42-man squad.
Barring further injuries or players being unavailable, the coach doesn’t expect many more changes, and is going into the match with confidence.
Said Coach Geappen “We have played the NEAFL in the last couple of years, which has been a challenge in itself and this is a total different ball game up against this mob,” he said.
“You don’t think about it too much, but we are under no illusions ... they beat SA by about eight goals last year and I think the SANFL is undoubtedly the best competition.
“Anything I have done in sport, you never go in thinking you can’t win. We are going away with a plan we think can be competitive.”

I received a message from Swans today that entry to next weeks State game against Tasmania will be free.

From the media release

There will be FREE entry to the Carlton Draught WAFL State game against Tasmania at Steel Blue Oval, Bassendean next Saturday, June 11.

The game will be the first at Steel Blue Oval between Western Australia and Tasmania and also the first between the two states since 1999, when WA won by 58 points at Kalgoorlie.

WAFL Manager Cameron Knapton said it was hoped that free entry to the game would encourage a large crowd to attend and give people a great opportunity to spend a day out watching a high quality game of State football.

“Bring your family and bring your friends to see the best of the WAFL take on Tasmania in what promises to be an entertaining contest,” he said.

“We really want to see the supporters out in force to cheer for the black and gold with State pride on the line.”

An initial WA squad has been named for the game and a final team will be selected in the coming week, with a final training session and jumper presentation to be held at Steel Blue Oval on Thursday, June 9.


Hopefully this will attract a decent crowd to the game and there will be lots of atmosphere.

I will be there rain, hail or shine and whether its free or $50 bucks!! Hope to see a few black and whites do Western Australia proud at "the home of quintessential WAFL football" - Corbin Middlemas August 24th 2015

I wouldn't be too sure, while I think the outer at basso is in reasonable condition, I'm not sure that it's up to the lofty FART standards, they might be fearful of one of their folding chairs being caught in a divot and one of there players getting a nasty bruise or a graze.

As for the game, I'm positively flabbergasted and pleasantly surprised that the WAFC have actually come up with this great bit of promotion, obviously when they are left alone without the undue pressure of their AFL masters they can make sensible decisions, I'll be there on the outer wing to support WAssies.

Any ideas when the final culls will be made on the state squad? I gather they probably will train on Wed nite

Can't help with the question SD.

Tasmania has picked a fast running side for the big expanses of Bassendean Oval.
State coach Brett Geappen said he had picked his side for Saturday’s game accordingly.
“It is a monster of a ground so obviously we’ve picked a running side for that reason,” Geappen said.
Glenorchy captain Brayden Webb missed the Magpies demolition of Burnie, but Geappen expects last year’s TSL vice-captain to be available.
It is doubtful Lauderdale's hard nut Bryce Walsh will play.
Walsh was hospitalised during Saturday’s loss to North Launceston with concussion.
At this stage he has no medical clearance to play in the match.
“If he does then we have to decide as a coaching group whether we risk him after a heavy concussion.”
Geappen said while runners would be vital, it would not be the only string to Tasmania’s bow.
“Running capabilities and the way we want to play, that is certainly our strength going into it,” he said.
“But we need a point of difference. We’ve also got some bigger bodies in the midfield like Webby and Jobi Harper and those sort of guys.
“We’ll go in with a Plan A and if that’s not working we can throw some different things at them.”
The TSL’s leading goal-kicker Mitch Thorp will hold down a key spot, but not as close to goal as he has been playing for Devonport.
“Knowing what their back line is like, we might go a little bit smaller and deeper,” Geappen said.
“They’ve got some decent key backs who like to zone off so Mitch will probably play a bit higher.
“With him a bit higher we’ve got [Ian] Callinan, [Nick] Dodge, [Jake] Cox – guys with some real X-factor – hopefully they can kick a few goals for us.”
The Tasmanian state team will train on Thursday and fly out on Friday for Saturday’s game.

The weather for the big state game predicted to be partly cloudy with a light north-easterly breeze. Maximum temperature tipped to be 20° with no rain.

Swandog wrote: I will be there rain, hail or shine and whether its free or $50 bucks!! Hope to see a few black and whites do Western Australia proud at "the home of quintessential WAFL football" - Corbin Middlemas August 24th 2015

TBH in SD current form swandog, I don't reckon any SD players let alone a "few", should be picked for this game.....Subi, SF, EF and WP are the form teams and their players by right should be given first dibs....saying that though, I can only see BOB and Liam Anthony as definites getting games v Tas....Hampson has been injured and will be surprised if he plays...whilst JMac has been nursing his achilles all year in n out of games and the likes of Watson, Peake and Stephen are amongst the ranks of similar types who are doing just as well at Subi, WP and SF this year...

...quite surprised Angus Graham hasn't been picked, by far the form ruckman of the comp, way better than Johnson from EP from the sounds of things....Cameron from Cl deserves a run too...who from SD deserves a go....Notte perhaps?....Riggio is one of many in the midfielder queue...

Senior Seagull wrote: I wouldn't be too sure, while I think the outer at basso is in reasonable condition, I'm not sure that it's up to the lofty FART standards, they might be fearful of one of their folding chairs being caught in a divot and one of there players getting a nasty bruise or a graze.

As for the game, I'm positively flabbergasted and pleasantly surprised that the WAFC have actually come up with this great bit of promotion, obviously when they are left alone without the undue pressure of their AFL masters they can make sensible decisions, I'll be there on the outer wing to support WAssies.

SS for the record I believe it was Swans' President, Peter Hodyl, who had to lobby the WAFC extremely hard to allow free entry to the game. It was MOST ASSUREDLY NOT a WAFC initiative.

Freezin wrote:

Swandog wrote: I will be there rain, hail or shine and whether its free or $50 bucks!! Hope to see a few black and whites do Western Australia proud at "the home of quintessential WAFL football" - Corbin Middlemas August 24th 2015

TBH in SD current form swandog, I don't reckon any SD players let alone a "few", should be picked for this game.....Subi, SF, EF and WP are the form teams and their players by right should be given first dibs....saying that though, I can only see BOB and Liam Anthony as definites getting games v Tas....Hampson has been injured and will be surprised if he plays...whilst JMac has been nursing his achilles all year in n out of games and the likes of Watson, Peake and Stephen are amongst the ranks of similar types who are doing just as well at Subi, WP and SF this year...

...quite surprised Angus Graham hasn't been picked, by far the form ruckman of the comp, way better than Johnson from EP from the sounds of things....Cameron from Cl deserves a run too...who from SD deserves a go....Notte perhaps?....Riggio is one of many in the midfielder queue...

l

Freeze, on current form the only SD fella who deserves a state spot is our runner...very busy season for him. I too can't believe Graham never made the team. By far the best big man in the comp at this stage. Riggs has worked his way back in to form recently but like you say has a few to compete with. I wouldn't be surprised if none of our boys are selected on current form