COLLINGULLIE-Glenfield Park midfielder Matt Klemke is set to make a rapid recovery from a shoulder injury in time for Sunday’s first semi-final at Griffith.
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That’s the verdict from the Demons camp ahead of Sunday’s sudden-death final against Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes at Exies Oval.
Klemke came off in excruciating pain during the third quarter of last Sunday’s win over Griffith and was still not in good condition after the game.
Collingullie-GP coach Brett Lenon revealed Klemke is set to play.
“He’s going to be right,” Lenon said.
“He lost a bit of feeling in his hand for a couple of hours and has some soreness but it was just a stinger.
“He’s had scans and seen the physio and he’s 98 per cent right.”
Lenon said there is more doubt over the fitness of centre-half-forward Will Haines, who returned from a hamstring injury for the win over Griffith.
Haines spent a lot of time on the bench against Griffith after fears he may have re-injured the hamstring.
Lenon said the Demons may be without their important key forward.
“Will’s in doubt, but in saying that he’s doing everything right and we’ll be giving him every chance to play,” he said.
“If he says he’s right, he’ll be right.
“He’s probably 50-50 and there’s another three or four days to go so he can come a long way in that time.”
Veteran defender Geoff Spriggs will slot into centre-half-forward, should Haines be ruled out.
Spriggs has battled injury this season and was used off the bench against Griffith and produced a performance that showed he is still valuable to the Demons.
MCUE have beaten Collingullie-GP on both occasions this year, but that is nothing unusual.
In the last two seasons, the Goannas won both home and away meetings before the Demons upstaged them on grand final day.
Lenon said that history will give the Demons some confidence.
“I don’t look at past results too much,” Lenon said.
“But at the same time, yes it does (give us some confidence). We do seem to perform well against them in finals.
“They have beaten us twice this year but finals is a different season.
“We’re not looking backwards at all, we’ll push forward and try to keep improving at every opportunity we get.”
MCUE also have injury concerns of their own and lose quality midfielder Stace Creasy to a hamstring injury, while Dusty Rogers’ available rests on the tribunal’s verdict.
