The Brisbane Lions have named a significantly more experience side ahead of Sunday’s NAB Challenge match against the Gold Coast SUNS in Townsville at 3:40pm (local time). After fielding a team which featured 17 players with less than 20 games of AFL experience in their first pre-season practice match against reigning premiers Hawthorn, the Lions have welcomed back 11 senior players for what Senior Coach Justin Leppitsch expects will be close to a “full dress rehearsal” for Round One.
Captain Jed Adcock, Vice-Captain Tom Rockliff and dual Club Champion Joel Patfull headline the inclusions, together with Daniel Rich, Pearce Hanley, Jack Redden, Daniel Merrett, Matthew Leuenberger, Brent Moloney.
Claye Beams will prove another welcome return for the Lions against the SUNS, having overcome a full knee reconstruction which sidelined him for the bulk of 2013.
Former Richmond utility Luke McGuane, who impressed with five goals in a recent intra-club match, has also been named for his first official outing since heading to Brisbane as a Free Agent over the off-season.
It means the Lions’ side will be as close to full strength as possible, with the only exceptions being a few senior players who are nursing injuries – namely Jonathan Brown (foot), Ash McGrath (calf) and Brent Staker (calf). However, all are all track to be available for Round One.
Making way for the returning stars are a host of young players, most of whom were given a tough AFL initiation by Hawthorn last Thursday night.
They include Daniel McStay, Patrick Wearden, Nick Hayes, Sam Michael & Zac O’Brien, with the more experienced Andrew Raines, James Polkinghorne & Matt Maguire also being rested.
In total, the Lions have added 1,201 games of senior AFL experience, with the omissions combining for just 369 games.
The full Lions squad for this Sunday’s NAB Challenge match is as follows:
1.
Luke McGuane
2. Ryan Harwood
3.
Brent Moloney
4. James Aish
5. Jack Crisp
6. Josh Green
7. Jed Adcock
8. Rohan Bewick
10. Daniel Rich
11. Pearce Hanley
13. Trent West
15. Dayne Zorko
17. Claye Beams
18. Nicholas Robertson
19. Jordan Lisle
21. Daniel Merrett
22. Marco Paparone
23. Matthew Leuenberger
24. Joel Patfull
26. Tom Cutler
30. Jack Redden
32. Sam Mayes
33. Michael Close
34. Jonathan Freeman
35. Ryan Lester
38. Thomas Rockliff
41. Mitchell Golby
42. Justin Clarke
45. Jordon Bourke (Rookie)
IN: McGuane, Moloney, Adcock, Rich, Hanley, Beams, Merrett, Leuenberger, Patfull, Redden, Rockliff
OUT: McStay, Raines, Polkinghorne, Maguire, Wearden, Hayes, Michael, O’Brien
NEW: Luke McGuane (Richmond)
