With Kade Kolodjashnij and Sean Lemmens having missed just one game between them in the opening seven rounds, Guy McKenna may opt to manage his gun draftees after the bye this week.

18-year-old Kolodjashnij has been a model of consistency in his six AFL starts this season where he has averaged 21 disposals per game as a rebounding defender.

Tasmania’s highest draft selection in 17 years, Kolodjashnij has been an absolute god send for GC SUNS mentor Guy McKenna, after he publicly stated last year that a dominating half-back was at the top of his wish list. 

The quietly-spoken teenager notched a career-best 25 touches against North Melbourne and was in serious contention for this week’s NAB AFL Rising Star nomination, but was pipped by Collingwood’s Tom Langdon. 

The versatile utility did cop a knock to the knee in the side’s 43-point win over the Kangaroos, but General Manager - Football Operations, Marcus Ashcroft, said he was confident Kolodjashnij would be right to play when the team returns to take on St Kilda next week.

“Kade suffered a slight strain to his knee during the second quarter of the match,” Ashcroft told The Gold Coast Bulletin.

“We are optimistic that he will be available to take his place in the team to play St Kilda.”

Regardless, McKenna conceded the club will probably take a more conservative route with their two freshest faces than they did with Jaeger O’Meara, after the eventual AFL Rising Star winner played all 22 scheduled fixtures last season. 

Following the team’s most recent performance, he said the coaching staff would likely have to manage the players’ physical load at some point during the year.

“Sean looked like his wheels were wobbling a little bit so we have to manage them; the bye has come at a good period,” McKenna said.

“Kade did lose a bit of fitness around the NAB Cup when he had a tight hamstring (but) he is already one of our best six running, so conditioning- wise he will be okay.

“But playing against boys like he did last year compared to cracking in against men so it does take its toll.

“So we’ll manage them like we have had to do in the past with our first-year players."