The Gold Coast SUNS will receive a Top End boost with two Territorians among three inclusions to the team to take on Western Bulldogs on Saturday night at TIO Stadium in Darwin.
Crowd favourite Joel Jeffrey, a Wanderers junior, will get the opportunity to play once again in front of family and friends in Darwin after being promoted into the starting 22.
It will also be Ben Long’s first AFL match in Darwin, with the St Mary’s junior called up to replace the injured Sean Lemmens in defence.
The duo join Malcolm Rosas Jnr to make it three Darwin-born players in Gold Coast’s team to face the Bulldogs.
Last week’s substitute Tom Berry has also been promoted into the starting 22 after strong form in recent weeks.
Joining Lemmens in coming out of the side are Brandon Ellis and Sam Day who have been omitted.
Ellis and Day remain on the emergency list alongside James Tsitas and Jy Farrar, with one of those four to be named the substitute one hour prior to first bounce.
To add to the Round 11 celebrations, it will also be Nick Holman’s 100th AFL match, and Matt Rowell’s 50th.
For the first time, the club will also play it VFL match at TIO Stadium as a curtain raiser, with first bounce at 3:30pm QLD time.
The Sir Doug Nicholls clash gets underway at 7:25pm QLD time on Saturday night and will be broadcast nationally on the Seven network, as well as on Fox Footy and Kayo.