Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick says he'll give key defender Mac Andrew every chance to prove himself fit for Saturday's clash against Fremantle.
Andrew suffered an ankle injury late in the win over St Kilda and has been cautious with his recovery, opting to sit out Thursday's training session.
Hardwick is confident that the 21-year-old will put his hand up to take on the Dockers forward line.
"He's trending towards probable, which is always a positive," Hardwick said.
"He's a really important player, we've just got to make sure he's right to go.
"There's no risk of further injury, but we want to make sure he's capable of performing close to his best.
"He'll train a little bit more tomorrow and we'll get a better understanding then."
Fremantle boasts a relatively top-heavy forward line, with Josh Treacy and Jye Amiss taking key posts, while the likely inclusion of ruckman Sean Darcy will allow star tall Luke Jackson to roll into attack.
The Suns will be desperate for Andrew to play, given the woes in their key defensive stocks, with Charlie Ballard and Elliott Himmelberg ruled out for the season with ACL injuries.
Max Knobel's return is unknown as he deals with a persistent foot issue, while Caleb Graham (Achilles) is also unavailable for selection.
Gold Coast used the 2025 Mid-Season Draft to replenish their tall defensive assets, recruiting Glenelg's Oscar Adams and Casey's Caleb Lewis.
"We are thin, but we are also very confident we've got a lot of hybrids capable of playing tall and small," Hardwick said ahead of the Dockers challenge.
"If Mac doesn't play, I think we're still well placed with who would come in to replace him."
Highly-touted draftee and Gold Coast Academy graduate Leo Lombard will make his long-awaited AFL debut.
Lombard was sidelined with a serious shoulder injury from a pre-season contest, and after a fortnight spent in the reserves, he'll get his senior opportunity.
Hardwick believes the time on the sidelines "has given him good grounding" and a better understanding of the AFL, and is excited by what he'll produce, playing predominantly in the front half.
