The Gold Coast SUNS have confirmed its 22-player team to face Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

As confirmed on Thursday afternoon, Lachie Weller will make his return to AFL against the Bombers more than nine months since being sidelined with an ACL injury.

As also confirmed by Senior Coach Stuart Dew, Round 1 debutant Bodhi Uwland would feature again this weekend with the 19-year-old named on the interchange alongside Elijah Hollands, Malcolm Rosas Jnr and Round 1 substitute Brayden Fiorini.

Alex Davies, Mabior Chol and Jy Farrar are the three omissions from Round 1, with the latter two players named among the emergencies alongside Alex Sexton and Connor Blakely.

One of the four emergencies will be named as the SUNS substitute an hour before the bounce. An appearance as the substitute for Blakely would be a SUNS club debut for the former Docker, while it would also be Sexton’s first taste of AFL in 2023.

The match against Essendon gets underway at 2.20pm AEST and will be broadcast live on Channel 7 across the country as well as Fox Footy and Kayo.

Gold Coast SUNS Round 2 Team: 

B:

14. L Weller

25. S Collins

44. D Macpherson

HB:

22. B Long

10. C Ballard

33. C Constable

C:

13. J Lukosius

11. T Miller

24. D Swallow

HF:

9. B Ainsworth

 30. L Casboult

40. J Jeffrey

F:

7. N Holman

34. B King

3. S Flanders

FOLL:

28. J Witts

18. M Rowell

15. N Anderson 

INT:

8. B Fiorini

41. M Rosas Jnr

36. E Hollands

 

32. B Uwland

 

 

 EMG:

26. C Blakely

1.  M Chol

50.  J Farrar

 

 

6. A Sexton