Another week, another host of changes at the selection table for the Gold Coast SUNS, with the match committee making five changes for the trip to South Australia to face Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.
Charlie Dixon and Harley Bennell headline the inclusions for Rodney Eade’s side with ruckman Tom Nicholls (quad), midfielder Mitch Hallahan (arm) and utility Jarrod Harbrow (fatherhood) the main exclusions this weekend.
Along with Dixon and Bennell, key defender Henry Schade returns, as does wingman Luke Russell and utility Sean Lemmens. Clay Cameron and Peter Wright are the unforced changes, with the pair left out of the travelling party.
Gold Coast’s forward line will be bolstered by the return of Dixon, who missed last weekend’s 15-point loss to Greater Western Sydney due to an ankle injury suffered against the Western Bulldogs a week earlier.
After serving the club imposed sanction, Bennell returns to the senior side for the first time since the SUNS’ round 13 loss to Carlton in Melbourne. The talented midfielder has endured a year of controversy, and is looking to put a frustrating season in the rear vision mirror against Adelaide on Saturday.
Tall defender Schade has been recalled to the senior side after overcoming a hip injury that stalled his AFL career after an uninterrupted run of nine successive games after debuting against Brisbane in round five.
The Tasmanian returned via the NEAFL last weekend and has been brought straight back into Eade’s side to face a tall Adelaide attack comprising Taylor Walker, Josh Jenkins and Tom Lynch.
The midfield department has suffered another blow with Nicholls and Hallahan succumbing to niggling injuries. The SUNS ruckman was substituted out of the Greater Western Sydney game in the opening quarter with a recurring corked quad.
The further depletion will result in another game in the middle for emerging star Touk Miller. This week's Rising Star nominee thrived on greater exposure to the midfield last weekend and will be required to shoulder more of the workload once again at Adelaide Oval.
Round 17 AFL Premiership Team
B: H. Schade, R. Thompson, K. Kolodjashnij
HB: J. Lonergan, S. May, T. McKenzie
C: A. Sexton, G. Ablett, N. Malceski
HF: H. Bennell, T. Lynch, B. Matera
F: A. Hall, S. Day, C. Dixon
R: Z. Smith, M. Rischitelli, T. Miller
Interchange: L. Russell, M. Shaw, J. Glenn, S. Lemmens
Emergencies: C. Cameron, A. Raines, K. Brooksby
IN: C. Dixon, L. Russell, H. Bennell, S. Lemmens, H. Schade
OUT: J. Harbrow (Fatherhood), M. Hallahan (arm), T. Nicholls (quad), C. Cameron (omitted), P. Wright (omitted)
