Oakley-Nicholls, who had enjoyed a solid pre-season, flew for a mark in the goal square in the second quarter of the East Perth clash with East Fremantle and landed awkwardly. He bravely tried to continue, but was forced to concede his game was over.
The popular half-forward, who joined the club’s rookie list after several years with Richmond, was in good touch but now will be sidelined for up to eight weeks. He is recuperating at home from surgery and will be on crutches for several weeks.
The injury to Oakley-Nicholls soured a solid weekend for the club which advanced to the semi-finals of the NAB Cup after a strong 37-point win over Gold Coast, while a number of other players shone in two WAFL practice games.
Tim Houlihan, another rookie list player, had 15 possessions for the Sharks while Koby Stevens and Jacob Brennan also benefitted from the hit-out. For Brennan it was his first taste of match play after breaking a finger early in the post-Christmas training phase.
A number of club’s younger players were also given an opportunity for Claremont against West Perth. Lewis Broome, Anton Hamp and Jeremy McGovern all played in a young Tigers team against the Falcons and although none had a significant impact on the game, all would benefit from exposure to senior competition.
Broome played reserves football last year while fellow West Coast rookies Hamp and McGovern played in the Tigers’ colts team.
