Gold Coast midfielder Harley Bennell won’t board the flight to Perth tomorrow, after failing in his bid to return to the senior side this weekend.

GC SUNS coach Guy McKenna stressed all week that Bennell would have to prove his fitness during Wednesday’s skills session to put his hand up for senior selection. But he was unable to, so the decision was an easy one for McKenna and his match committee.

Meantime, Nathan Bock is edging closer to a return to football, with the 2008 All-Australian defender now back to full training.

To give him the best opportunity to play consistent AFL football this season, the Gold Coast vice-captain has been monitored closely by the club’s high performance unit, carefully managing his training load in the opening weeks of the premiership season.

But GC SUNS High Performance Manager, Stephen Schwerdt revealed to goldcoastfc.com.au the versatile swingman could find himself in the mix for senior selection sooner rather than later.

“It has been a long road for ‘Bocky’ to come back from his leg injury and he had some games last year, but he is moving considerably better this time around,” Schwerdt said.

“He trained with the team this morning and looked really sharp, so he’s not far away and we potentially see him playing a game in the next couple of weeks.

“He is close to being back into game mode.”

Just as important to the SUNS backline depth is reliable defender Seb Tape, who also appears to be on the mend from a lingering hamstring complaint according to the club’s leading fitness specialist.

“Seb is just about ready; he has been training with the team for a couple of weeks and is nearly back to his best,” Schwerdt said.

“There are just a couple of things we have to tick off with his conditioning but we think he is pretty close.”

GC SUNS Round 2 Player Availability

Harley Bennell, Calf, 1 week

Nathan Bock, Leg, Indefinite

Jack Leslie, Conditioning, 3-4 weeks

Jack Martin, Shoulder, Indefinite

Zac Smith, Knee, Indefinite

Seb Tape, Hamstring, 2 weeks