Home-grown rookie list players Broc McCauley and Claye Beams have been named in the provisional 47-man squad along with PNG international scholarship player Don Barry.
Lions football administration manager Adam Spackman, who is playing for the Lions Reserves rather than his ‘home’ club Morningside this season, is the fourth Lions representative in the squad.
Providing none of the rookies are elevated to the Lions senior list beforehand, each will look to push for selection in the final 23 along with Spackman.
The selectors decided to pick a large squad and let attrition through injuries and other outside influences take their course, before making a cut in several weeks time.
It means the final team will have trained together for the bulk of the time, rather than adding players as others drop out of the squad, as has occurred in the past.
AFL Queensland has placed a serious priority on interstate football this decade, playing at least one match annually.
Having beaten the ACT regularly through the early 2000s, Queensland has taken on the powerful Western Australians on a number of occasions and Tasmania more recently.
The Maroons lost to Tasmania in Hobart last year, were competitive against WA in Townsville in 2008, and beat the Apple Islanders in a memorable game in Launceston in 2007.
There will be no QAFL games played on the weekend of June 12 to allow for a full focus on the interstate clash.
Ten Southport players and eight from both the Northern Territory Thunder and Morningside have been named in a provisional squad.
Former Richmond players Cleve Hughes and Dean Putt have made themselves available for State football, as has former Lions, Saints and Tigers big man Trent Knobel.
Now in his third season back in the QAFL, this is the first time Knobel has put himself in the mix.
It was a timely gesture as regular Queensland No.1 ruckman Jacob Gough has other commitments this year and made himself unavailable.
The State selection panel, headed by Marty King and including coach Jason Cotter, have an abundance of riches with their talls, with Putt, Knobel, in-form Lion McCauley, and aggressive Thunder star Kenrick Tyrrell all vying for a ruck berth.
Well-performed Aspley recruits Matt Shir, Jamie Sheahan and Tyson Hartwig have made the provisional squad, with 19-year-old Sheahan high in Syd Guildford Trophy voting.
Dayne Zorko’s brilliant form with Broadbeach has seen him vying for a roving or forward berth after having captained the State Under 21 side last year but represented the Open team against WA in Townsville in 2008.
Gold Coast FC hopefuls Matt Fowler (Southport) and Todd Grayson (Labrador) are also being considered on their good form.
Every club has representation in the provisional squad this year, with Ed McDonnell and Luke Scott being rewarded for their tireless efforts in the struggling Western Magpies side with a spot in the initial 47.
Regular State stars of the past David Lillico and Josh Vearing could not be considered due to injury, while Gough, Tim Notting and surprisingly Syd Guildford Trophy leader Mat Clarke are unavailable.
The 47-man squad includes:
Aspley
Tyson Hartwig
Jamie Sheahan
Matt Shir
Brisbane Lions Reserves
Donald Barry
Claye Beams
Broc McCauley
Adam Spackman
Broadbeach
Dayne Zorko
Labrador
Todd Featherstone
Todd Grayson
Trent Knobel
Morningside
Kent Abey
Damien Bonney
Ryan Holman
Mark Kimball
Nathan Kinch
Austin Lucy
Aaron Rogers
Paul Shelton
Mt Gravatt
Nathan Gilliland
Shane Morrison
NT Thunder
Darren Ewing
Brett Goodes
Cameron Ilett
Jared Ilett
Bradley Palipuaminni
Zephi Skinner
Shaun Tapp
Kenrick Tyrrell
Redland
Phil Carse
James Charlesworth
Scott Clouston
Daniel Dzufer
Adam Mueller
Josh Norman
Southport
Matt Fowler
Cleve Hughes
David James
Cameron MacLaren
Ben Merrett
Kurt Niklaus
Matt Payne
Darren Pfeiffer
Dean Putt
Daniel Wise
Western Magpies
Ed McDonnell
Luke Scott
