Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick says the AFL pre-season schedule needs to be better after more injuries

After what was another night of injury in a brutal final week of the AFL pre-season across the country, Suns coach Damien Hardwick says ‘we just have to get this scheduling better’.

Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick concedes the Suns are facing “an uphill battle” to have a host of stars fit for next weekend’s Opening Round clash against Essendon after enduring a litany of injuries in the Community Series defeat to Sydney on Friday night.

Key defenders Mac Andrew (chest) and Charlie Ballard (ankle) were subbed out in the first quarter with David Swallow (knee) and Lachie Weller (hamstring) following suit in the second half.

Andrew came from the ground in the opening 30 seconds after a heavy collision with Swans midfielder Taylor Adams and did not return.

Not long after Ballard hobbled from the ground favouring the same right ankle that had kept him out of the previous week’s practice matches against Brisbane and Collingwood.

He briefly returned to the field but was then pulled from the action with the Suns electing to take a cautious approach given Andrew could be forced to miss the Bombers’ clash through injury.

Mac Andrew after the heavy collision. Picture: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos

Swallow’s night ended mid-way through the third quarter and he was spotted on the bench with ice on his knee.

Hardwick said the early indication was a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury.

Then Weller, who to that point had arguably been the Suns’ best playing as a midfielder, left the field with “hamstring tightness” and did not return.

“It was a bit of a night of carnage unfortunately for us,” Hardwick told Fox Footy after the match.

“It’s hard to sit there and take a little bit out of the game when you’re trying to put pieces of the puzzle together. Tough night.”

It was a horror night for the Suns just eight days out from their season opener against Essendon, having enjoyed a reasonably healthy pre-season to that point.

Hardwick revealed vice-captain Touk Miller (knee) had trained strongly on Friday morning and would return for the season opener, adding fellow midfielder Sam Flanders was also a chance having battled a back injury for close to two months.

Captain Noah Anderson speaks to his team on Friday night. Picture: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos

“Touk will definitely play next week – he could have played tonight,” Hardwick said.

“Sammy Flanders will be touch-and-go. He’s actually turned a corner, he had a great session this morning so we’re reasonably bullish on him.

“But once again, we’re in a bit of an uphill battle with some of those boys.”

Sydney did not escape the carnage either, with superstar winger Errol Gulden subbed out and sent for scans on his ankle after it was caught underneath him in a tackle from Suns midfielder Will Graham.

It continued a brutal final week of the pre-season across the AFL.

On Thursday night, Brisbane defender Brandon Starcevich was subbed out with concussion – ruling him out of the Lions’ Opening Round clash against Geelong.

For the Suns, there were initial fears that Andrew could have been concussed after his collision with Adams.

Had that been the case, the defender would have been forced to sit out next weekend’s match.

It left Hardwick questioning whether a change should be made to the pre-season scheduling in the future to minimise the risk of players missing matches early in the season due to injuries sustained in practice matches.

“I think we have to get our scheduling better,” he said.

“It’s hard because (Opening Round) comes in and then some sides have two weeks off. We just have to put our heads together and figure out what we can do.

“Even for our counterpart, Sydney, (they) can’t get home tonight. They play (Friday) I think and they’re stuck here tonight, so we just have to get this scheduling better.”