Gold Coast fans could end a year to forget with a glimpse of the future on Saturday.
Draftee Izak Rankine, the brightest prospect at the Suns, is pushing to make his AFL debut in the round-23 clash against GWS at Metricon Stadium.
The teenager’s first year at the Suns has been marred by serious hamstring injuries but he played a full game for the club’s reserves last weekend.
With a 17-game losing run ensuring the Suns will finish last this year regardless of the result against the Giants, a first look at Rankine would give long-suffering fans on the Gold Coast something to get excited about.
Coach Stuart Dew admitted he was contemplating throwing the 19-year-old South Australian into his lineup after an impressive recovery from his injury woes.
“It’s really tempting, his attitude’s been fantastic – I think that’s been the most exciting part for all of us at the footy club, how he’s gone about this and approached it,” Dew said.
“But we also don’t want to get seduced by that and just look at all the facts. Can he get through a full game of football and contribute?
“He’ll play AFL footy, it’s just whether it’s this year or next year.”
Saturday’s match will also mark inaugural Sun Michael Rischitelli’s last match in his AFL career.
Dew said his players needed no more motivation against the Giants than giving the 33-year-old a winning send-off to his career.
“He himself said he’d love to play in one more win, as every player would in their last game,” he said.
“It’d be a nice touch for him if we could get over the line in his last game.”