Suns to rely on speedy Callum
GOLD Coast are shuffling the magnets looking for a pace injection, with Callum Ah Chee set to join a side that will be without injured skippers Tom Lynch and Steven May.
Veteran Michael Barlow faces a battle to retain his position in the side for the Suns’ clash with the Western Bulldogs at Ballarat on Saturday but may be ruled out by injury anyway after reporting leg soreness yesterday.
Gold Coast were beaten on the outside by the Crows but coach Stuart Dew said that was more a case of players being sucked to the contest “like bees to a honeypot” rather than lack of outside running power.
The highly rated Ah Chee, who injured his hamstring in the pre-season, trained at halfback yesterday with Jack Martin lining up in attack.
Martin, the Suns’ most creative player, was used at halfback in the QClash on April 22 and for periods in the loss to the Crows but with Lynch absent looks set to return to the attacking arc.
Dew is looking for a return to the manic pressure that was a feature of their opening three weeks and despite his ball-winning ability, Barlow does not provide it.
Davis Swallow will lead the Suns side in Lynch and May’s absence.
Dew has revealed Lynch has been carrying a knee injury for the past few weeks but said he was not laying the fault on the hard surface at Perth’s new Optus Stadium where the Suns played back-to-back games between rounds three and four.
He said the club had hoped he would last until the bye and one week’s rest would be enough but the condition deteriorated after the 48-point loss to the Crows in Adelaide at the weekend.
An ankle injury he suffered in Round 4 against West Coast compounded the problem because he was unable to do the necessary strengthening work to keep the knee problem at bay.
Lynch had to be convinced it was in his best long-term interests to take a break.
“He’d keep playing every week,’’ he said. “We make the call both medically and with match committee.
“Tom being Tom, he’d roll out every week. That’s good at times, but sometimes you have to save the players.’’
May is only expected to miss one week with an infection in the finger he broke in the QClash and will be available for the Suns’ home game against Melbourne at the Gabba in Round 8.
Dew said Swallow was the obvious candidate to lead the side after his stellar performance against Adelaide.
“He gets the reward this week to be captain,’’ he said.