The only success savoured at Metricon Stadium to date has been multiple construction awards.
And that does not look like changing soon after Gold Coast baulked at injecting gun midfielder David Swallow (knee) into Saturday’s AFL wooden-spoon decider against Greater Western Sydney despite a spate of injuries.
Still winless at their home ground – that’s a run of 17 straight losses – the depleted Suns need to find all the positives they can before facing the in-form Giants.
At least that would explain why their website is boasting the fact their stadium topped half of the categories at the recent Steel Design Awards of Queensland.
But it won’t matter much to the Suns as they look to finally break their home-ground duck, avoid the dubious claim of being the first team beaten twice in a season by newcomers GWS – oh, and keep a second straight wooden spoon at bay.
Following their 42-point last-round loss to Melbourne, Michael Rischitelli, Zac Smith, Karmichael Hunt, Dion Prestia, Sam Day and Luke Russell have been added to an injury list that has ballooned out to 17 players.
However, Suns’ assistant Andy Lovell said former No.1 draft pick Swallow would not be risked against the Giants unless he was 100 per cent.
“If he gets through training today and Friday, we’d expect him to come up,” Lovell said on Wednesday.
“(But) we certainly don’t want to put him at risk long term.
“Fear of failure against this mob doesn’t drive us.
“We’ve got our own focuses, long and short term, and they’re the things we’ll stick strong to.
“We wouldn’t put one of our most-talented young players (Swallow) at risk to win one game of footy.”
Suns’ coach Guy McKenna said he would have to dig deep into his NEAFL (second tier) player stocks.
“To lose seven players in any round going into the next week, you lose almost a third of your side and especially when you are preaching continuity and chemistry – of course it’s tough,” he said.
“It’s the opportunity for some blokes to play for their careers and play for the jumper and our first win at Metricon.”
McKenna hoped their embarrassing round-seven away loss to the Giants would spur them on this weekend.
“I think the boys would have been naturally stung by that performance and so they should have been,” he said.
“We are looking forward to making sure that we reward the members for their patience and support and get a win on the weekend.”
