The Gold Coast reserves face a crunch game against the Giants in Saturday afternoon’s curtain raiser at Metricon Stadium, with a win essential if the SUNS want to keep their slim NEAFL finals chances alive.

Gold Coast sits one game and a large chunk of percentage out of the top six and will need to claim victories in its last three games while relying on other results in order to play in an elimination final.

The SUNS welcome back Jack Leslie from suspension, while Seb Tape returns after being a travelling emergency with the senior team in Melbourne last week.

However, Sean Lemmens and Mitch Hallahan go out of the team that defeated Redland by 113-points last week after being called up to the seniors while Trent McKenzie (groin) will also miss.

The Giants currently sit fourth on the ladder but have had a mixed run of form of late with a win over top-of-the-table Sydney preceded by a loss to the bottom-placed Brisbane.

Round 19 NEAFL Team

B: T. Keough, H. Schade, M. Willis
HB: M. Spencer (A), B. Kaufman, J. Leslie
C: N. Kempe (A), B. Fiorini, J. Bowes (A)
HF: C. Cameron, C. Loersch, B. Scheer (A)
F: A. Saad, B. Crossley (A), J. Williams (A)
FOLL: K. Brooksby, D. Macpherson, Z. Saad
INT (from): S. Tape, D. Charlesworth (A), J. Dawson (A), H. Simington (A), S. Donnelly

EMG: B. Foster, S. Davidson (A), C. Marsden