Gold Coast players refuse to let loss of Gary Ablett and Michael Rischitelli halt their momentum
PETER Wright says the loss of leaders Gary Ablett and Michael Rischitelli should not stop the Gold Coast from putting the bite on the Bulldogs.
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SUNS young gun Peter Wright says the loss of leaders Gary Ablett and Michael Rischitelli should not stop the Gold Coast from putting the bite on the Bulldogs in Cairns on Saturday.
The Suns will send Ablett (shoulder) and Rischitelli (knee) for scans after Saturday night’s demolition derby win over Brisbane.
The Gold Coast are all but resigned to Rischitelli requiring a knee reconstruction while the nature of Ablett’s shoulder concern is less clear and he is still a chance of heading north.
Wright was one of the shining lights in QClash 12 with five goals, 12 marks, three scoring assists and 20 disposals to follow on from his NAB Rising Star nomination from the win over St Kilda in Round 15.
The towering key forward said confidence within the team was growing after an improved month of football and even with Rischitelli and possibly Ablett unavailable, there would be no excuse for any drop off in effort against the Bulldogs at Cazalys Stadium.
“It doesn’t matter who the 22 players are, if you get the full buy-in into the game plan from all 22 players and you bring effort and intensity, you can be competitive,’’ Wright said.
“We think we can challenge anyone on our day. We just have to bring the same energy and enthusiasm we’ve had the last month and stick to our structures.
“It’s a big ask to beat the Bulldogs because they have been playing good footy all year but we are excited about the challenge up in Cairns.’’
He said the Queensland derby victory was bittersweet for the Suns with Ablett and Rischitelli’s injuries souring the club’s fifth win in 12 QClash meetings.
“Yeah, there were definitely some mixed emotions. It was a good result to get the four points especially after we lost to Brisbane in Round 4 but it was heartbreaking to see the boys go down with injuries,’’ he said.
“We are not sure on the extent of the injuries just yet but we are keeping our fingers crossed.’’
Wright — the No. 8 draft pick in 2014 — gets better with each outing at the top level and is revelling in his partnership with Suns spearhead Tom Lynch.
“It’s been nice to get the opportunity to have a little bit of continuity. I feel like I’m growing in confidence every week and feeling more comfortable playing my role for the team,’’ he said.
Originally published as Gold Coast players refuse to let loss of Gary Ablett and Michael Rischitelli halt their momentum
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