The Gold Coast SUNS and Brisbane Lions were each missing arguably their best player in last start losses; only one of those sides gets its gun back this week.

While Gary Ablett will remain a spectator for the remainder of this season, Tom Rockliff will return to Brisbane’s 22 after – not for the first time this year – missing a match due to suspension when the Lions just failed to knock off West Coast in round 17.

Rockliff performs better against the GC SUNS than any other team. In seven matches he has averaged 29 touches, five tackles and one goal per game.

Even in the 53-point drubbing at Metricon Stadium in round 3, the midfielder racked up 35 disposals and three goals; similar numbers to Ablett in that game, but there’s no prize for guessing which of the two would have picked up the three Brownlow votes in that game.

That loss still clearly hurts the Lions, and Rockliff has vowed to do everything to ensure the SUNS don’t qualify for a maiden finals campaign.

“It’s important to grow Queensland footy and we want to be the No. 1 team in Queensland,” he said.

“We don’t want them to be in the finals.

“We don’t have our strongest midfield at the moment. They’ve lost Gary Ablett, who is the best player in the competition, but they also have midfielders like (David) Swallow and (Dion) Prestia, (Jaeger) O’Meara; so many of them. We have to nullify their influence and get the footy in our hands and use it well.”

Rockliff admits he doesn’t mind getting under the skin of opponents, but at the end of last season’s contest at the Gabba, his aggression left him a little worse for wear when he came off second best trying to lay a bump on Greg Broughton.

Despite his most recent suspension, Rockliff won’t give up the niggling aspect of his game.

“There are ways to do things differently and get under the skin of the opposition in different ways than the two indiscretions I’ve had (this season),” he said.

“I have to adapt what I do because it only hurts the team if I am not out there.

“You don’t want to give the Match Review Panel a chance to rub you out and it’s absolutely fair Leppa (coach Justin Leppitsch) has told me that.

“I don’t think my (actions resulting in) suspensions were that bad. It wasn’t as if I belted someone in the face, sort of thing, but I put myself at risk. I deserved both the suspensions.”