As the GIANTS get set to head north to take on the Gold Coast Suns at Metricon Stadium on Saturday afternoon, we’ve been keeping a close eye on all the news coming from Suns camp this week.
Suns coach Rodney Eade spoke to the Gold Coast media on Thursday morning and had plenty of praise for the GIANTS.
“They’re just about the complete package. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re there on the last day,” he said.
“That’s going to be a real test for us. Our inexperienced midfield have done exceptionally well over the last few weeks. It’s bigger task for them, no doubt about that.”
He also revealed some of the Suns’ tactics to stopping the GIANTS on Saturday afternoon at Metricon Stadium.
“We’ll have to put some strategies in place to hopefully be able to slow their ball movement down and give our forwards an opportunity,” he said.
“We think if we can get the ball inside our forward line we can create enough opportunities.”
Eade revealed Suns veteran Nick Malceski and midfielder Jesse Lonergan would both miss this week’s clash with injury.
Malceski had a reoccurrence of a knee injury during the Suns’ narrow loss to the Demons at the MCG last weekend while Lonergan injured his shoulder during the same match.
The candid coach revealed Sean Lemmens and Mitch Hallahan would be the replacements for the injured pair.
It’s no secret the Suns have again been hit hard by injury this year, losing captain Gary Ablett, vice-captain Dion Prestia and veteran Michael Rischitelli to season-ending injuries and without young guns David Swallow and Jaeger O’Meara for the whole season.
But the Suns match committee have some talent pushing up through the twos, with a number of other players putting their hands up for selection. The Suns' reserves beat Redland by 113 points in the NEAFL last weekend.
Clay Cameron played one of his best games for the club, booting 5.4 as a target inside 50 and could be in line for selection, even with the abundance of tall timber up forward for the Suns.
Hallahan had 32 disposals and nine inside 50s while 2015 number 20 draft pick Brayden Fiorini could be a chance to make an AFL debut after collecting 31 touches and four goals.
Meanwhile, Henry Schade had a solid game across half back and the electrifying Adam Saad also returned from injury.
In more injury news, the Suns also ruled defender Trent McKenzie out for the rest of 2016 after he suffered a groin injury in the NEAFL last weekend.
