Cellar dwellers Gold Coast and GWS reject tanking charges

GOLD Coast and Greater Western Sydney are strenuously denying suggestions that they have rested fit players for tonight's bottom-of-the-table clash.

Kevin Sheedy

GOLD Coast has moved to clear itself of tanking speculation that has cast a stink over tonight's wooden spoon clash with GWS by opening its doors to an AFL investigation into their injured players.

And Greater Western Sydney coach Kevin Sheedy has reacted angrily when asked if eight changes to his side had opened the door to fresh speculation over the credibility of the round 20 game, by saying such questions were a "disgrace".

The game has been dubbed the "Whitfield Cup" because the loser will gain the coveted No.1 draft pick and both sides' motives have been questioned after they made big changes.

With gun Victorian teendhager Lachlan Whitfield the prize for the loser, there is plenty to be gained by losing.

Despite angry denials last week when the prospect the Giants might throw this match was aired in the media, the midweek withdrawals of gun inside midfielders Callan Ward and Toby Greene, and No.1 draft pick Jonathon Patton raised eyebrows in the football community.

The innuendo increased when No.2 Stephen Coniglio and tough-as-teak Jacob Townsend were late withdrawals yesterday.

The Suns also came under scrutiny when they revealed almost immediately after last week's loss to Melbourne that as many as seven players may have suffered injuries that would keep them out of the game.

Normally clubs do everything they can to hide and disguise injuries.

Of the seven, David Swallow is the only one to be named and will play.

Suns chief executive Travis Auld said the injuries were legitimate and Karmichael Hunt, Zac Smith, Michael Rischitelli, Luke Russell, Sam Day and Dion Prestia were no certainties to return this year.

"I can only speak for us and our position is very defendable," he said.

"I'm aware of the perception around this game and we have to investigate any way possible to remove that perception.

"I would be happy if they (the AFL) wanted to send a suitable qualified medical person into the club to assess us, we have nothing to hide."

Sheedy also stressed player management was a huge issue for new ntsfirst and second-yearnte clubs.

The Giants coach said a high injury toll and player burnout was to be expected and mass changes did not deserve the scrutiny they attracted.

"I just think it's a joke. For persons in the press to say these comments is an absolute disgrace in our game and I've been in it over four decades," Sheedy said at the Gold Coast yesterday.

"I'll take them to task on it whenever they want to. I will take them and I will tear strips off them."

The last-placed Suns are one win behind GWS on the AFL ladder but with superior percentage entering the last four games of the regular season.