GOLD Coast coach Rodney Eade says Gary Ablett and co-captain Steve May will be given every chance to prove they are fit and firing for Saturday night’s clash with Richmond at Metricon Stadium.
The prolific ball-winner and defensive bookend both missed the loss to the Bulldogs in Cairns last week and were named in the Suns’ 22 last night.
But they are not out of the woods.
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The Suns will be hoping to see a scene like this after the clash with the Tigers. Picture: AAPSource:AAP
The Gold Coast trained last night and they will be assessed again today. If they get through unscathed a decision on their availability could be left until game day.
Ablett has played in only two of the Gold Coast’s past five outings because of hamstring and calf injuries while May injured his hamstring in the Round 17 loss to Collingwood two weeks ago.
The Suns will need as many hands on deck to be any chance of beating the Tigers who staked their claim for a top-four berth with a victory over GWS last weekend.
“They are a chance. We’ll name them but we won’t be taking any risks with them either,’’ Eade said of his star duo.
“If they are not 100 per cent, we won’t be playing them so we’ll have to wait and see.
“If they get through (training) … it will be how they pull up.’’
Gary was rested with hamstring tightness last week. Picture: Mike BatterhamSource:News Corp Australia
May has missed only a week with the hamstring injury he suffered against the Pies. Picture: Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images
Eade said travel was a factor in how the Suns managed Ablett’s injury woes with the dual Brownlow Medallist missing the club’s last three away games because of his soft tissue issues.
“Against Collingwood, we’d planned to play him a bit forward and limit his game-time, but with two injuries in the first quarter, we were hamstrung a bit, excuse the expression, and he ended up getting 90 per cent of game time,” he said.
“It was quite sore after the game and during the week, so again it was not worth the risk of taking him interstate and playing.
“He’s really keen to play this week and he’s really keen to play the week after (against Fremantle in WA), so hopefully he can get through training and he’ll be OK.
“He seems pretty confident he’ll be able to play this week.’’
Originally published as Gaz, May named for Suns’ Tiger tilt
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