Key defender Lachie Keeffe comes into the GIANTS side as they get set to take on Gold Coast at GIANTS Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The experienced backman replaces fellow defender Sam Taylor who will miss the round 11 clash with a cork.
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“With the six-day break, Sam copped a couple of corkies and he just hasn’t responded to the level we wanted him to,” coach Leon Cameron said.
“He struggled to train in our main session and for that reason he’s not going to take his place in the team.
“Whether it’s one week or two, we’ll keep addressing that and seeing how that plays out.”
Cameron welcomed Keeffe’s inclusion with the 29-year-old set to play his third game of the season.
“On the flip side, Lachie Keefe’s played some really good footy, he’s been extremely unlucky to go out of the team but also he looks forward to his opportunity to play down in that key back position,” Cameron said.
“He gets that opportunity on Saturday and he comes in with really good form behind him.”
The coach is looking for a four-quarter performance from his side after three strong quarters against Melbourne was enough to secure the four points but didn’t leave Cameron satisfied.
“We reviewed the game like the game went; 75 per cent good and 25 per cent not great,” Cameron said.
“We put our energies in on that ratio and clearly we could have done some better things in the last quarter.
“We’ve gone about addressing them at training during the week and we look forward to the challenge against the Gold Coast.
"The challenge for us is consistency, not just in game but also week-to-week. We’ve gone two wins and one loss for most of the year so we’ve got to be able to consistently put performances together and get more wins a row, starting this week.
“The Gold Coast have won some close games, they’ve been involved in a lot of close games, so if you’re doing that it means you’re probably playing a good, consistent brand so we need to acknowledge that and then deal with it.”
The GIANTS take on the Suns at GIANTS Stadium on Saturday at 1:45pm. Get your tickets now because Everything’s Bigger Up Close!
GIANTS v Gold Coast Suns
Saturday, June 1 at 1:45pm
GIANTS Stadium
GIANTS
FB: Adam Kennedy, Nick Haynes, Phil Davis
HB: Heath Shaw, Lachie Keeffe, Lachie Whitfield
C: Adam Tomlinson, Jacob Hopper, Jeremy Finlayson
HF: Harry Perryman, Jeremy Cameron, Brett Deledio
FF: Toby Greene, Harry Himmelberg, Sam Reid
RR: Shane Mumford, Stephen Coniglio, Tim Taranto
Interchange: Brent Daniels, Josh Kelly, Isaac Cumming, Matt de Boer
In: Lachie Keeffe
Out: Sam Taylor (cork)
Emergencies: Jackson Hately, Aiden Bonar, Dawson Simpson, Daniel Lloyd
