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Gold Coast’s hopes of making an unlikely push for the top eight have been boosted with young gun Matt Rowell poised to make his AFL return against Fremantle.
The 19-year-old has been sidelined since injuring his knee in round one against West Coast but will be available for selection along with forward Sam Day (knee) and defender Jack Bowes (hamstring), as the Suns head west refusing to give up on an unlikely finals push.
Midfielder Touk Miller said Rowell’s comeback was just the boost the Suns needed as they head into the back half of the season.
“It’s no excuses, all guns blazing,” Miller told AAP.
“Blokes are healthy. Blokes are in good form. The team’s starting to play a really good brand of football.
“It’s literally like we’re just resetting and ready to go for this back half of the year which is super exciting for us.”
Despite having played just six matches in an injury-marred start to his career, Rowell is considered as one of the brightest talents in the competition.
The 2019 No.1 draft pick burst onto the scene last year, storming into unlikely Brownlow Medal contention before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury against Geelong in just his fifth match.
His return against the Eagles lasted half-a-quarter before landing heavily on his left knee in a tackle and limping off.
Having claimed a 37-point win over Hawthorn before last weekend’s bye, the Suns head west to face the Dockers 13th on the ladder, 12 points behind eighth-placed Richmond having played a game less.
While closing the gap to the Tigers and securing a maiden finals appearance would appear a long shot, Miller said he and his teammates were daring to dream.
Securing a win over the injury-ravaged Dockers was a vital step in that ambition.
“It’s a really big opportunity for us to showcase what we can do and put a bit of a stamp on what we’re going to do for the back end of this season,” Miller said.
© AAP
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