FNQ duo named in midfield shuffle

SUNS coach Stuart Dew believes the club has the means to cover Gold Coast defect Hugh Greenwood, even if it changes the dynamic of the midfield group.

Speaking for the first time since Greenwood’s move to North Melbourne, Dew said the Suns had depth in their midfield and were willing to experiment with their makeup to find the right balance.

Cairns product Alex Davies has a similar stature to Greenwood at 191cm but is still raw after just a year in the system, leaving Dew to mull over a large group of candidates.

“We have obviously got Alex Davies, who played late in the season,” Dew said while welcoming the club’s new coaches partner TFH.

“Brayden Fiorini came back (in round 14) and played really well when Hugh was injured.

“We got some more game time into Matt Rowell and Noah (Anderson) went up a notch. We feel we have good depth there and we also picked up Charlie Constable as a mature body, which is important for us.”

Cairns junior Jack Bowes has also been training with the midfield group after spending the bulk of 2021 playing in the backline, while Elijah Hollands, who has had a slow build-up after coming into the Suns system on the back of a knee injury, is also vying for a spot across midfield and forward.

The bulk of the players had the chance to show their wares in the club’s final training session of the year on Wednesday. The squad will return on January 10.

The group took part in some match simulation, playing three 10-minute stints in 30-degree heat at the club’s Carrara base. The best forwards and defenders available played on opposing sides, while the best midfielders were split between the two.