Gold Coast do not maintain any long-term fears for Ben King regardless of the star spearhead being dominated out for a second straight recreation with a swollen knee.
King, who was rested for final week’s 24-point loss to Sydney, was named to return for Saturday’s conflict with red-hot Carlton at Heritage Bank Stadium.
But the 23-year-old was withdrawn on Friday morning after experiencing extra ache in his knee.
He has been changed by Mabior Chol.
King missed all of final 12 months after present process a right-knee reconstruction, and the Suns will not take any dangers with their star ahead.
“We thought the week off for Kingy would give him a bit of a spike, which it did,” interim Gold Coast coach Steven King mentioned.
“He completed training on Wednesday, trained really strongly.
“This morning he got here in and offered with a little bit of swelling in his knee.
“We just didn’t want to take any risks this week.”
The coach stays assured there will likely be no long-term subject for the extremely regarded Suns ahead.
“No concern,” King mentioned.
“We’ll have the chat next week about whether it’s worth him making the trip down to Tassie or not (for Gold Coast’s final game of 2023, against North Melbourne).
“We’ll do the most effective factor for Ben.
“My philosophy as a coach and a person is you don’t want to push someone into something they’re not (ready for).
“You let the participant determine the place they’re at.
“Kingy had another crack, it was up to him how he felt. To his credit, he trained strongly – but obviously there’s something there.”
Ben King has booted 40.21 from 20 video games this season in a robust return from his torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Saturday’s match will mark the AFL return of defender Connor Budarick, who suffered a second ACL tear in July final 12 months.
Chol, Alex Sexton, Brayden Fiorini and debutant Lloyd Johnston are the opposite inclusions for the Suns.
Fifth-placed Carlton are on an eight-match profitable run, and victory over Gold Coast may safe a house remaining.
The Blues have been bolstered by the return of key ahead Harry McKay, who has missed the previous 5 weeks with a knee harm.
Gold Coast copped a 59-point hammering by the hands of Carlton in June, with the Blues operating rampant with a nine-goals-to-nil second time period.
“It was just one of those things that happen in a game where momentum gets away from you really quickly and you’re unable to wrestle it back,” King mentioned.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
