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Gold Coast SUNS coach Guy McKenna will coach from the coaches box at Metricon Stadium on Saturday night for the first time.

McKenna has coached from the interchange bench since Round 7, and will this week take the opportunity to head up stairs, with reserves coach, Shaun Hart to assist at boundary level.

The GC SUNS coach made the successful move to the boundary line following the team’s loss to Essendon at Etihad Stadium, with the view that McKenna would spend more time educating his young group when they come off the ground as part of their rotations.

With the GC SUNS reserves team having a bye this week, McKenna will take the opportunity to head back up stairs for the first time in eleven games.

GC SUNS General Manager of Football Operations Marcus Ashcroft told goldcoastfc.com.au, that it was an ideal time for McKenna to coach from the box.

“We thought it was a perfect time for Bluey to come back up to the box to coach this week.”

“With our reserves having the bye this week, it frees up both Shaun Hart and Andy Lovell from a coaching perspective.”

“Shaun has also been coaching the reserves from the boundary and we think it has worked really well.”

Ashcroft believes it is important for McKenna to spend some time coaching from the box as well as at ground level.

“You certainly get a different view of the game, it has been really beneficial to the team having Bluey coach from ground level, but we think it’s important that he also needs to spend some time along side his coaches from an elevated level and there is a chance that he will alternate between both position throughout the remainder of the season,” Ashcroft added.