WAGGA Tigers have their fingers crossed Tom Osmotherly's troublesome shoulder will be able to withstand a finals campaign after he dislocated it late in Saturday's statement win over Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Tigers' best win of the year against the then ladder leaders, which put them into the top three on percentage, was soured slightly when the ruckman left the field in the dying stages.
He was strong against the Lions' revered ruck combination of Jacob Olsson and Daniel Foley, and his fitness is vital for the Tigers' hopes given their ruck stocks underneath are thin on the ground.
Tigers coach Murray Stephenson said the best case scenario is for Osmotherly to play the last regular season match, but the club won't be taking any risks.
Osmotherly has dealt with shoulder problems consistently in recent years. He had surgery on a right shoulder issue late last year, which delayed his start to the season.
He has played only eight games this year after also suffering a subluxation of his left shoulder, the same shoulder he hurt against the Lions and had surgery on in 2017, in a ruck contest against Coolamon in mid-May.
Stephenson said Osmotherly's presence has been a major factor in their form surge which has them in poll position for a double chance in finals.
IN OTHER NEWS
He has played in pain at the business end of the year before, having dislocated his shoulder twice in 2019 before playing in the Tigers' grand final-winning side.
"It's not as bad as what his other shoulder injuries have been, which is a positive," Stephenson said.
"Probably the goal is to hopefully have him back for finals. Even if he is available for the week before the finals (it would be nice), but we just have to wait and see and weigh up the risk and reward.
"He's been a big factor in our change of fortunes midway through the year.
"Early on he might have been a bit rusty with limited pre season and taking a while to get that touch back and match fitness. But the more games he's played the better he's got, and the service he gives our midfield.
"He's an important player for us for sure. Just his work around the stoppages, he makes us a much better midfield."
In better news for the Tigers, Shaun Flanigan is hopeful of recovering from a rolled ankle he also suffered late against the Lions to take his place against Narrandera this weekend.
"It's just a bit of bruising and swelling around the ankle. He's up and about and moving on it, so he'll have a pretty light week and we'll assess later to see whether he's ready to play," Stephenson said.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark dailyadvertiser.com.au
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
