Werribee Centrals face some tough calls leading into Saturday’s Geelong & District Football League grand final against East Geelong.
Kai Gomes Pattiyage looks likely to return from concussion protocols while Blake Taylor will push for selection after copping a hamstring injury in the qualifying final.
With captain Michael Culliver out for the season after doing an ACL in round 16, stand-in skipper Jack Stephenson said he didn’t envy the coaching panel’s selection headaches this week.
“It is tough, we’ve got a lot of depth at the club so it does make a lot of hard decisions for the coaching staff,” he said.
“But unfortunately not everyone will be able to fit in that we’d like to have so there is some tough calls to come.”
The Centurions will challenge Josh McDonald’s three-match suspension at the tribunal tomorrow night (9 September).
The gun forward was offered a two-week ban for striking Winchelsea’s Tom Rouget in the preliminary final, providing he took an early guilty plea, but with nothing to lose, Centrals will take the matter to the tribunal in a bid to have him free to play in the decider.
Stephenson, 24, said while Culliver’s absence on the field hurt, his influence was still strong off it.
“He’s just an amazing player and he’s also an amazing leader,” he said.
“He’s really helped me mature as a player and person, just over the last three or four years playing with him.
“And even though he’s not playing, he’s still a massive part of our group.
“He’s leading by example off the field and keeping us all on track.”
