TUNE INTO SUNS TV TO HEAR KEN HINKLEY TALK ROUND 22

By Michael Whiting

The biggest battle for returning forward Nathan Ablett will be adjusting to the speed of the game after his four-year absence from senior football according to Gold Coast SUNS assistant coach Ken Hinkley.

Ablett will play his first match since Geelong's 2007 Grand Final win over Port Adelaide when the GC SUNS play Adelaide at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.

He retired following the premiership and played for Broadbeach in the QAFL in 2009 before being signed by the Suns for their inaugural season.

Ablett was one of six changes to the Gold Coast team thumped by the Brisbane Lions last week, and Hinkley said the club expected no miracles from the 25-year-old.

"He's had a long time away from football, how much of that can he pick back up? That's been the battle for him. It's the speed of the game and the game has changed a lot since '07," Hinkley said.

"Nathan has really had to battle to get into that sort of stuff.

"He is just competing really hard and we know it's not about Nathan taking lots of marks or kicking lots of goals, it's about just doing the structured things we expect."

Hinkley was an assistant at Geelong when Ablett was a forward focal point in 2007 and said he showed enormous promise as a centre half-forward.

After some mid-season injuries, Ablett has battled back through the reserves and earned his spot with some strong showings and a shortage of big men for the Suns.

Hinkley said Gold Coast SUNS expected to bounce back after the disappointment of last week's effort against the Lions.

"We made the usual number of changes to our side as well, which hopefully freshens us up a little bit as well," he said.

"The season is coming to a close and we hope they have the energy to keep going. You have to take into account the boys know they were disappointing last week. They will want to be better than that this week.

"We are much happier playing here and an afternoon game against Adelaide and we are training in these [warm] temperatures every day and we look forward to it."