Tasmanian football coach Brett Geappen is looking for a competitive performance but knows “The Map” will be up against it when they take on Western Australia in a representative clash at Bassendean Oval in Perth on the June long weekend.
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The Tasmanian squad, boasting the best players from the State League, held their second training run at Aurora Stadium last night in preparation for their interstate game on Saturday, June 12.
“The squad is starting to take shape but there are a few blokes with a few little niggles at the moment but we’re confident we have the list there to pick our best side,’’ Geappen said.
“The last couple of years I think we have played six or seven debutants and it could be a similar number or even more this year which is exciting.”
Tasmania went down to the NEAFL by 20 points in last year’s representative match in Queensland and Geappen knows WA will be even tougher opposition.
“We were pretty disappointed last year in our performance – the previous couple of years we’ve fought really well and got a couple of wins.
“We are under no illusions WA will be a much tougher outfit than what the NEAFL have been in the past.
“They beat the SA by 40 or 50 points the previous year so it shows you how tough they are but they have had a few injuries as well and may not have everyone available.
“But in saying that their competition is very strong and they bat very deep so we will certainly have our hands full but we think we can pick a squad to go over there and if we play to the plan we’ve got in place we can be pretty competitive.”
The state team will train at Aurora again next Tuesday when the final squad of 23 will be named followed by a final training run at Bellerive Oval next Thursday.
The initial 42-man squad has been trimmed already to about 32 players excluding those who have been ruled out due to injury such as last year’s captain Brady Jones, Devonport’s Ben Richmond and Burnie’s Dylan and Zac Smith.
We are under no illusions WA will be a much tougher outfit than the NEAFL have been
- State coach Brett Geappen
Others trimmed from the initial squad include Burnie’s Rudy Barrett, Devonport’s Braden Van Buuren and Launceston pair Joe Groenewegen and Sam Rundle who ruled themselves out due to work and study commitments.
Geappen said he was yet to settle on a captain to replace Jones but would make that decision in the week before the game.
Last year’s vice-captain in Glenorchy’s Brayden Webb would be one in contention to lead the state team.
