Collingullie-Glenfield Park coach Luke Gestier and prime mover Jayden Klemke will both play in Saturday’s Riverina League grand final.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Demons on Thursday night decided to roll the dice on two of their stars and bring them back from hamstring injuries for the decider against Griffith at Narrandera Sportsground.
Gestier has not played since Collingullie-GP’s final round win over Narrandera, while Klemke re-injured his hamstring in the Demons’ first finals win over Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong three weeks ago.
But both got through training at Crossroads Oval on Thursday night and will be a significant additions to the team that defeated Griffith two weeks ago.
Gestier was named at full-forward with Klemke in a forward pocket.
Cody Cool and Ben Keith were the two players to make way.
The Demons chose not to bring key defender Joe Byrnes or midfielder Tim Beckmans back into the team with the pair failing in their bid to return from hamstring injuries.
Gestier said earlier in the day that it was impossible to know how many players returning from injury for a grand final would be too great of a risk.
“You could ask the whole world for advice, really, everyone’s not short on giving advice,” Gestier said.
“Plenty of teams have gone before you and you look like a hero if you bring five or six in and win a flag, and if you bring in five or six and you lost you look like the villain.
“I don’t think there’s a winning formula but at this stage I’m really focusing on bringing people in who are fit.”
Gestier conceded the club’s hamstring woes this season had been a ‘debacle’.
Meantime, Griffith named an unchanged team for the grand final.
Griffith coach Will Griggs decided not to make any changes to the team that came from behind to defeat Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong in last Sunday’s preliminary final.
Griggs explained a number of players were still sore but said he would give them every chance to get up for the decider.
READ MORE