The Gold Coast SUNS have made four changes for this weekend’s trip down to Tasmania to face reigning premier Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium.
After serving his three-match suspension for a high bump on Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff, key defender Steven May returns to Rodney Eade’s side to bolster a depleted back six. Excitement machine Jack Martin also returns for Indigenous Round after a three-game absence due to an ankle injury to provide the SUNS with some class.
Highly-rated utility Andrew Boston has been selected for his first game of the season after overcoming fitness issues earlier in the season that saw him forced to train away from the main group until he met Eade’s standards. A convincing 28-possession performance against UWS Giants in the reserves last week forced the selectors hands.
And the SUNS will unveil another mature-aged rookie this weekend in SANFL product Keegan Brooksby. The 24-year-old ruckman has pushed his way into the Gold Coast line up on the back of a string of high-quality performances over the last month in the NEAFL.
Earlier in the week, ball-magnet Dion Prestia joined an embarrassment of riches in the Metricon Stadium casualty ward, but the return of Martin, following Tom Lynch and Adam Saad last week has seen the injury ledger start to turn in favour of the SUNS.
Andrew Raines, Jack Leslie and Aaron Hall have all been omitted from the side that lost by 69-points to Collingwood last weekend – the SUNS' third consecutive loss.
But with Brooksby debuting, Boston returning from football triage, and May and Martin returning, there is a myriad of positivity coming from the selection table this weekend. All are intriguing stories in their own right, all capable of helping turn around a season that has not gone according to plan.
Round 9 AFL Premiership Team
B: A. Saad, H. Schade, K. Kolodjashnij
HB: J. Harbrow, S. May, J. Lonergan
C: L. Russell, T. McKenzie, A. Sexton
HF: J. Martin, T. Lynch, H. Bennell
F: K. Brooksby, C. Dixon, T. Miller
R: T. Nicholls, M. Rischitelli, M. Hallahan
Inter: A. Boston, D. Stanley, B. Matera, S. Lemmens
Emergencies: A. Raines, J. Leslie, M. Shaw
In: J. Martin, S. May, A. Boston, K. Brooksby
Out: D. Prestia (Knee), A. Hall (Omit), A. Raines (Omit), J. Leslie (Omit)
New: K. Brooksby (South Adelaide)
