'Blessing in disguise' as flag contenders grapple with key injuries

Merrivale is battling key injuries, particularly in the forward line after its first three matches of the season, with spearhead Dylan Weir (wrist) and livewire Nathan Krepp (calf/knee) working towards returns.

The pair combined for 115 goals last season and kicked 10 between them in the 106-point win against Old Collegians on Good Friday.

Tigers coach Josh Sobey said the dynamic duo were "progressing well".

"He'll (Weir) be out for a little bit longer. He's progressing along with his wrist, ticking a few boxes. We don't want to be rushing him this early in the season," he said.

"It's a little unknown right now but we'll get a clearer picture in the next few weeks in terms of where that sits.

"(And) Kreppy's progressing well. It was a bit different than what we thought. He got a scan on the back of his knee and found out it wasn't a pure calf tear, it was from the back of his knee which helped fast track the rehab.

"It's hard to give a date on him but it's progressing well with him which is good."

The Tigers will, however gain important forward Hamish Gurry for his first game of the season this weekend. The 2014 premiership forward kicked 17 goals from eight matches last year and provides a strong focal point.

"Hamish coming back this week is great for us," Sobey said.

"He's a big part of what we've got going on. He's shifted back home (from Queensland) and managed to get himself settled so we're looking forward to seeing him on a regular basis.

"He was a bit in and out last year just with his job commitments so it's nice to have him."

Despite having to re-jig the forward line to look to create winning scores, Sobey said his group were using it as "blessing in disguise" in identifying key areas to work on.

Jack Neave (seven goals), Manny Sandow (six) and Jaxon Johnstone (three) have managed to hit the scoreboard on a regular basis so far this year.

"It's provided us with a few more options. We've identified some areas we need to get better on, probably more about how we're defending the ground at times," he said.

"We've put a bit more speed into that forward line early in the season, it's just about having options up forward that we're looking at, whether it's due to the opposition or weather conditions.

"We certainly want to keep building our depth down there and versatile in the way we want to play. Having a few of these injuries early might be a blessing in disguise down the track."

The Tigers host winless South Rovers on Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 2.20pm.