Recruits injured in practice game

TWO Suns recruits face an anxious wait to discover the extent of injuries suffered in Gold Coast’s reserves practice match loss to Brisbane.

Number 23 draft pick Jez McLennan hurt his knee in a contest in the opening three minutes and wasn’t sighted again, while Corey Ellis hurt an ankle in the first quarter.

Gold Coast went on to lose 14.13 (97) to 7.5 (47). McLennan left Metricon Stadium yesterday in a brace, while Ellis was wearing a boot in what could be a blow to their senior aspirations.

“Jez got a knock and wanted to go back out there but we made a call to put him on ice,” Suns NEAFL coach Nick Malceski said. “It was only a practice match and we didn’t want to make it any worse. Corey rolled his ankle and we didn’t want to risk him either.

“We will have to see scans to find out what it’s like. If it was a normal game we might have put him back out there.”

Ryan Gilmore also left the field in the second quarter after suffering a concussion, leaving Gold Coast, who held a 19 point lead at halftime, with one player on the bench.

Former North Melbourne captain and current Suns assistant coach Andrew Swallow was also called on to lace up the boots.