Gold Coast will welcome back three first-choice SUNS for the side’s round seven clash against Geelong, while local teenager Brad Scheer will make his debut for the club.

Captain Steven May (hamstring), David Swallow (rested) and Kade Kolodjashinj (illness) headline the returning cast for Rodney Eade.

"Getting back May, we’ll get back Swallow and Kolodjashnij, we get some experience back in as well which will help,” Eade told the media on Thursday.

Matt Shaw, Brayden Fiorini and first-year defender Jack Bowes make way for the returning SUNS, and will play for Stephen Daniels’ NEAFL team in their match against GWS’ reserves on Saturday.

Eade emphasised to reporters the club would take a conservative approach with all their first-year players, including Bowes, in a bid to avoid fatigue and to prolong their maiden AFL seasons.

"He’s (Bowes) a bit fatigued, he’s recovering okay but we can see at the end of games, especially the last two weeks his last 15-20 minutes he’s really exhausted,” Eade said.

"We think for his long-term we need to back off a bit. We’ve actually managed his training loads but we’ll manage his game time."

Unfortunately Jesse Lonergan is set to miss due to a shoulder injury, he will be monitored and re-evaluated by club medical staff next week.

Scheer follows in the footsteps of fellow academy products Andrew Boston, Jesse Joyce and Bowes, with the Palm-Beach Currumbin resident to make his first senior appearance in front of family and friends at Metricon Stadium.

Rocket said the inside-midfielder thoroughly deserved his chance to pull on his first SUNS Guernsey, following a string of consistent performances through the NEAFL and strong training standards.

“We will contemplate putting him in the midfield, he’s played a little bit in the midfield, certainly as an under 18 last year and a little bit in the reserves."

"[He'll play] Mainly as a forward I would have thought but he’s got the running capacity to go in the midfield, he’s got a good GPS profile.

“Certainly the ability to cover the ground."


Gold Coast SUNS Round 7 AFL Premiership Team

B: K. Kolodjashnij, J. Leslie, J. Joyce
HB: S. Lemmens, S. May, A. Saad
C: A. Sexton, G. Ablett, M. Rosa
HF: J. Lyons, T. Lynch, D. Swallow
F: B. Matera, P. Wright, J. Martin
FOLL: J. Witts, A. Hall, M. Barlow
INT: B. Scheer, T. Miller, J. Harbrow, C. Ah Chee

EMG: W. Brodie, J. Bowes, K. Brooksby

IN: Swallow, May, Kolodjashnij, Scheer
OUT: Shaw (omitted), Bowes (omitted), Lonergan (shoulder), Fiorini (omitted)