The GIANTS have made six changes to their line up to face the Gold Coast Suns at Metricon Stadium on Saturday night.
As confirmed on Wednesday, Jeremy Cameron will return to play his 150th game as the GIANTS look to bounce back from back-to-back losses.
Ruck Shane Mumford, forwards Jeremy Finlayson and Daniel Lloyd and defenders Sam Taylor and Isaac Cumming also return for the GIANTS’ final game of the regular season.
Mumford returns after being a late omission last week due to illness while Isaac Cumming will play his fifth game of the season having last played AFL in round 12.
Lloyd and Taylor both return for the first time since the GIANTS’ thrilling round 19 win over Port Adelaide and Finlayson will make his way back to the forward line having recovered from a hamstring injury suffered in the club’s two-point win over the Swans.
“It’s great that Jeremy gets to come back and play his 150th, we know how much he means to our footy club,” GIANTS Head Coach Leon Cameron said.
“It’s a phenomenal effort for a young kid from Dartmoor just outside of Mount Gambier to play 150 games for us.
“Jeremy Finlayson has rehabbed really well, as has Sam Taylor and Daniel Lloyd.
“Those guys will play and Shane Mumford who missed last week because of gastro and Isaac Cumming who’s played a game back last week in the NEAFL come back into the team.”
Toby Greene – who has been in superb form over the past month – will miss with a minor calf injury and Dawson Simpson has been ruled out with general soreness following the loss to the Western Bulldogs.
As revealed in Tuesday’s Westfund Rehab Report, Nick Haynes has been ruled out for up to four weeks after fracturing his cricoid (throat).
“Obviously we’re disappointed losing Haynes, Toby’s just a bit tight in his calf,” Cameron said.
“We gave him every opportunity during the week to come up, but he didn’t train yesterday, and he still has some tightness, so he won’t play which is disappointing.
“And Dawson Simpson, on a six day break, has probably struggled to come up, so it’s disappointing to have those three guys come out but equally there’s opportunity for the guys coming in.”
Forward Zach Sproule, midfielder Jye Caldwell and defender Jake Stein have been omitted.
While Gold Coast sits bottom of the ladder with three wins in 2019, Cameron knows the Suns will be looking to finish their season on a positive note.
“They’ve got a really good squad and they pushed Essendon to a goal a few weeks ago and I thought they were very good after half time against Hawthorn,” he said.
“Hawthorn really jumped them, but I thought after half time they were very good.
“They’ve got some great quality kids in there and they’ll want to finish on a great note with one of their favourite sons in (Michael) Rischitelli announcing his retirement after a fantastic career.
“We’re under no illusions that this is going to be a huge game for us and we know we need to find some really good hard footy to take into the coming weeks.”
Gold Coast Suns v GIANTS
Saturday, August 24 at 7:25pm
Metricon Stadium
FB: Sam Taylor, Phil Davis, Adam Tomlinson
HB: Heath Shaw, Aidan Corr, Lachie Whitfield
C: Daniel Lloyd, Tim Taranto, Sam Reid
HF: Matt de Boer, Harry Himmelberg, Brent Daniels
FF: Ian Hill, Jeremy Cameron, Adam Kennedy
Ruck: Shane Mumford, Harry Perryman, Zac Williams
Interchange: Isaac Cumming, Lachie Keeffe, Josh Kelly, Jeremy Finlayson
In: Shane Mumford, Jeremy Finlayson, Jeremy Cameron, Daniel Lloyd, Sam Taylor, Isaac Cumming
Out: Toby Greene (calf), Nick Haynes (throat), Dawson Simpson (general soreness), Zach Sproule (omitted), Jye Caldwell (omitted), Jake Stein (omitted)
Emergencies: Jye Caldwell, Jackson Hately, Aiden Bonar, Matt Buntine
