Statement made at selection table

Rodney Eade has made an immediate statement at the selection table following an underwhelming first up performance against Melbourne. Trent McKenzie and Daniel Gorringe are the omissions, with Matt Shaw ineligible due to suspension. Seb Tape, Sean Lemmens and Tom Lynch all come into the side who were outclassed by 26-points at the MCG on Easter Saturday. With 77 games next to his name, McKenzie is the equal second highest games holder at Metricon Stadium. His absence sends a strong message from the match committee: previous form counts for little under the new Eade reign. Tape and Lemmens bring with them an appetite for the contest, with their competitiveness a strong reason for their inclusion this weekend. After missing last week due to suspension, Lynch makes a much-needed return for the SUNS who lacked a real focal point inside 50 against the Demons.

A former SUN set to trail Ablett around Metricon Stadium

Gary Ablett has continued to manufacture headlines across the week following his return to football in round one. Many have questioned whether he is ready to compete again at the elite level after a shoulder reconstruction ended his 2014 campaign prematurely. There’s no question that the SUNS captain was below his best against Melbourne, but for any other player, 19 possessions and two clever goals would have been an acceptable return after such a serious injury. He was closely shadowed around the MCG by Demons tagger Jack Viney, and he can be sure to receive the same sort of treatment this weekend against the Saints with Maverick Weller certain to make his life difficult. In their only previous head-to-head encounter, Ablett finished with 37 possessions after having Weller trail him from quarter time. The former Gold Coast midfielder was one of the Saints’ most valuable players in round one, keeping GWS star Ryan Griffen to just 15 touches and next to no impact.

Effort and intensity the yardstick of success

To state the obvious, the Gold Coast SUNS must win this game to get their season back on track. And more importantly, they must do so with serious effort and a ferocious intensity. Those two ingredients didn’t appear to make the trip down to Melbourne in round one, and will be two key performance indicators Rodney Eade and the coaching staff will be using to measure individual and team performance on Saturday night. The SUNS have undertaken a thorough review process this week following their disappointing opening to the new season. And whilst some media analysts are forecasting a favourable rebound fixture with St Kilda this weekend, Eade has been forthright with his assertion that the Saints are far from an easy assignment. Even though St Kilda have lost their previous 12 interstate matches, and finished with the wooden spoon last season, they looked far more competitive against Greater Western Sydney in round one and will be a far greater challenge in 2015.

Five first-time SUNS to go again

The Gold Coast SUNS unveiled five first-time players in round one, with three debutants included. All five will run out for the second week in a row in the red and gold tapestry. Nick Malceski’s arrival in the summer was hailed as a major recruiting coup for the SUNS, but his first-up performance drew criticism in the media. In uncharacteristic fashion, last year’s All-Australian defender turned the ball over at times against the Demons. Expect a strong return from one of the game’s most damaging rebounding defenders this weekend. Adam Saad was promising in his debut, gathering 13 possessions and showing glimpses of his dare and dash through the middle of the ground. The elevated rookie has slotted in comfortably in the SUNS back six and will only gain more confidence with more exposure to the elite level. It’s easy to forget that Mitch Hallahan has only played seven games. After being in the system for four years before landing on the Gold Coast, it’s not hard to think that he’s played more than he actually has, especially when you compare him to players around the same age at Metricon Stadium. The entire midfield struggled to win the ball against the Demons, with the SUNS registering the lowest disposal count of any team in round one. Hallahan, like the rest of the on-ball brigade will need to lift against St Kilda.

May awaits Riewoldt once again

One of the key battles on Saturday night will be the contest between St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt and Steven May. The SUNS key defender emerged as one of the game’s premier defenders in 2014, with his round 19 performance on Riewoldt one of his many conquests last year. The Saints captain is coming off a limited pre-season after he stepped away from the club during the NAB Challenge series following the death of his sister. To no surprise, Riewoldt performed exceptionally well against Greater Western Sydney, hauling in ten marks in just over three quarters before being taken to hospital after an unsuspecting hit left him with whiplash. He has made the trip north and can expect to reacquaint himself with May at Metricon Stadium. The last time the pair met, May kept Riewoldt to just one goal in the SUNS’ 53-point victory. With Josh Bruce and Tim Membrey also part of a revamped St Kilda attacking arsenal, May, Rory Thompson, Seb Tape and Greg Broughton may all rotate through the trio at times to chop each other out.