The Gold Coast SUNS will enter this Saturday night’s clash against the Western Bulldogs with an undermanned midfield, with trio Gary Ablett (shoulder), Dion Prestia (knee) and Michael Rischitelli (knee) all forced out of Rodney Eade’s round 17 side with injury.
Ablett and Prestia are top two at the SUNS for centre bounce involvements in 2016 and much like the latter stages of last season, the likes of Aaron Hall, Jesse Lonergan and Touk Miller will be forced to carry the engine room load in the absence of some of Gold Coast’s top-tier midfielders.
Jack Martin, who has been exceptional across half back in recent weeks, will also be required to step up and spend additional time in the midfield.
Lonergan comes back into the team after returning via the NEAFL side following a bout of glandular fever. The Tasmanian had 35 disposals in the reserves and will be joined in the seniors by fellow inside midfielder Mitch Hallahan who had 22 touches and nine inside 50s in the twos.
“You cope with injuries but the length of time … Dion won’t play this weekend either, so we’ve got our five best midfielders out and it makes it difficult,” Eade told reporters on Thursday morning at Metricon Stadium.
“Last year we found Hall and Lonergan stepped up. We’ve just got to take the silver lining outlook that there’ll be a positive out of it somewhere.
“We haven’t got another midfielder, we’ve lost three midfielders and only got two to come in. We’ll have to be creative and bring forwards or backs in and push Jack Martin to midfield or something like that.”
Forward Jarrad Grant is the other inclusion to face his former side after spending two weeks in the reserves.
Round 17 AFL Premiership Team
B: J. Martin, S. May, K. Kolodjashnij
HB: J. Harbrow, R. Thompson, A. Sexton
C: N. Malceski, J. Lonergan, M. Shaw
HF: B. Matera, T. Lynch, T. Miller
F: S. Day, P. Wright, R. Davis
FOLL: T. Nicholls, M. Hallahan, A. Hall
INT: J. Grant, C. Ah Chee, J. Joyce, J. Garlett
EMG: J. Leslie, C. Cameron, S. Tape
IN: J. Grant, M. Hallahan, J. Lonergan
OUT: G. Ablett (shoulder), D. Prestia (knee), M. Rischitelli (knee)
