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Gold Coast will take no risks with captain Gary Ablett and fellow midfielder Michael Rischitelli ahead of Saturday’s match against fellow AFL newcomers Greater Western Sydney.
Ablett (knee) and Rischitelli (ankle) are trying to prove their fitness after missing the past two matches and they trained on Wednesday.
Coach Guy McKenna said the key pair were in the side for now, but added it was a matter of how well they pulled up from Wednesday’s training.
“Coaching-wise, if one’s up, do we take the risk with the other one?,” he said.
“They both trained today – I wouldn’t say they set the world alight.
“It’s really for us to assess them tomorrow, how they actually pull up … if it’s flared things up, swollen, I don’t like their chances.”
David Swallow (ankle) did not train, but McKenna said the young onballer was “fairly confident” he would be ready for Saturday’s match in Canberra.
McKenna added that the Suns did not feel they had to recall Ablett and Rischitelli to beat the Giants, saying younger players such as Harley Bennell were developing well.
The Suns have shown improvement in the past fortnight, pushing North Melbourne and almost causing a major upset against Fremantle.
Saturday’s match will be the second time the two expansion teams have clashed, after the Giants upset Gold Coast during the pre-season for their first win.
“It’s going to be a cracker of a game, I reckon – it’s the battle of the babies, battle of the boys,” McKenna said.
“Call it what you like, it’s going to be on.
“They like to move the ball quickly – we’ve got to be aware of that.”
Gold Coast will elevate Michael Coad off the rookie list to replace key defender Nathan Bock, who is out for the rest of the season with a broken leg.
Coad will play against the Giants after overcoming his own bad run of injuries, including last year’s hamstring injury.
“There is an element of a risk with his hamstring at this level … we all understand that,” McKenna said.
“We’ve ultimately left that decision with him, but his words were that probably something else would go before that (hamstring) goes.
“Part of it is reward, but he actually has deserved his spot as well.”
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