RANKINE IN
Magnetic feeling with Sun to finally make his AFL debut
WHEN Suns football staff packed the whiteboard magnets identifying the players for their stint in Sydney, they would have been forgiven for overlooking one that had gathered dust.
As fate would have it, the dusty magnet was the most important.
Coach Stuart Dew couldn’t help but smile as he shifted Izak Rankine’s name over to the senior side after gathering the players together on Wednesday night to celebrate what will the 20-year-old’s AFL debut against Melbourne at
Giants Stadium on Saturday.
“Stuey just got all the boys together and just said he could finally dust that magnet off and slide it across to the team,” Rankine said of the reveal.
“I was just excited and it was like a weight lifted off my shoulder. It’s pretty surreal. I’m pretty excited to be playing finally.”
It’s been a hard 18 months for Rankine since joining Gold Coast with the No.3 pick of the 2018 national AFL draft.
The South Australian was one of the most exciting prospects of the draft, a crafty small forward who had flair and a rare skill in front of goal.
The AFL world got a glimpse of what was to come in a pre-season game but that’s where hamstring and hip injuries hit, forcing him to undergo multiple gruelling rehabilitation programs.
Rankine came close to reaching full fitness a few times but on each occasion he suffered another setback.
Not this time. After three scratch matches against AFL clubs he has been brought in to replace Matt Rowell, who dislocated his shoulder playing against Geelong last week.
“My journey started off pretty rough,” Rankine said.
“It’s been a blessing in disguise, to learn about my body more and get a headstart on a few other boys while in rehab.”
Rankine told his parents in emotional exchanges over the phone on Wednesday that his dream would come true.
Rankine’s decision to spend just two weeks in Adelaide when COVID-19 hit before returning to the Coast to continue his rehabilitation while living with Suns defender Sam Collins proved critical.
He said the instructions from coaches about what they required of him was simple.
“They want me to be consistently offering my pressure and taking a few blokes down,” Rankine said.
“I’ll be trying to play my role for the team and keep that ball inside 50m.”