Gold Coast SUNS coach Rodney Eade admits the loads being placed on some of his young, inexperienced players is beginning to take its toll. In the absence of more seasoned players, first and second year players are being asked to do more than they otherwise would have been in an ideal world.
 
With close to half of a first-choice side missing due to injury or suspension, including star players Gary Ablett, Jaeger O’Meara, David Swallow, Nick Malceski and Jack Martin, as well as the best two defenders in Steven May and Rory Thompson, it’s not hard to see how devastating the injury curse has been.
 
After eight rounds, a handful of inexperienced players are understandably showing signs of fatigue. Eade identified Touk Miller and Kade Kolodjashnij as two players who have been forced to perform duties and carry loads they would not have if there was a clean bill of health at Metricon Stadium.
 
“I think with our personnel we’ve had, and then obviously [Trent] McKenzie got injured and [Dion] Prestia – the loads being carried by Miller, Kolodjashnij, blokes that have played one, two and three years,” Eade told reporters during his post-game press conference on Saturday night.
 
“And the load on them… Is that load actually becoming too much for them? Is there not enough weight of numbers being able to support them? If the better players are in they don’t have to carry that load.
 
“Obviously Touk had a down night tonight, but you can’t expect a first-year player to carry the side every week.
 
“So I think, the young inexperienced guys that have been in there for a few weeks just sort of go: ‘oof’.
 
“They’ve got no support around them experience wise to be able to guide them in those situations to keep their focus and keep their concentration up.”
 
The injury toll at the SUNS should begin to turn in their favour in the coming weeks, but maybe not until the bye in three weeks time. And the task doesn’t get any more difficult than the next three assignments: Hawthorn, Sydney and Fremantle.
 
By the time the bye arrives, Ablett, Swallow, Malceski and Martin could all be back on the park. Finally some reprieve is in sight.