WITH just five rounds left to go in the NEAFL competition, Queanbeyan Tigers co-coach Josh Bryce says lots of young blood will be injected to the side and recruiting options would still be looked at.
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Bryce said he is looking forward to injecting NSW state representatives and Greater Western Sydney Giants academy members Darcy Spinks and Jarrad Thomson back into his side after spending time playing for their state and at GWS.
And while he confirmed the club had started looking at players from other clubs, he could not reveal who.
Bryce said both Spinks and Thomson were quality players that deserved time in the NEAFL, whether it be for the GWS Reserves or for Queanbeyan.
"They're both quality players, and we'll give them a bit more experience and build towards next year," he said.
Many of the Tigers' younger players are registered with the under 18's squad, including Spinks and Thomson, and Bryce said this meant they would still play most games for that team until they were older.
But he also maintained it was still important for them, amongst other teenage players, to get a taste of NEAFL action for their own development, especially with hectic travel times involved with games in Queensland, Sydney, and even the Northern Territory.
"We do want to give them a taste and we do want to let them see how big a step that is, because that's something we've struggled to do this year," said Bryce.
"We've really got to bridge the gap [between AFL Canberra and NEAFL] and our two's [AFL Canberra] have got to get a lot better [despite leading their competition] to be able to do that."
Brandon Lagana, Jack O'Halloran and Sam Adams should make their first trips to Brisbane next weekend when the Tigers take on Redlands, and Bryce said that was part of the upbringing process.
The Tigers play Ainslie at home at 2pm this Saturday.