Gold Coast Academy graduate Leo Lombard is firming for an Opening Round debut after a stellar pre-season to date, impressing both players and coaches.
Lombard joined the Suns with Pick 9 and is expected to make an immediate impact, despite his infancy at the top flight.
The ready-made midfield-forward has shocked the club with how tough he is at the footy, and, according to assistant coach Brad Miller, is "100 per cent in the frame" for the clash against Essendon.
"He's 100 per cent in the frame," Miller said on Tuesday.
"He's got one of those bodies... he's not a light frame as an 18-year-old small forward (would be). He's thickly built, he's hard at the footy. "He tackles, he pressures. He's put his hand up with his form, particularly post-Christmas.
"We just want him to come in and put as much pressure on as possible. And what we've seen off the back of that is (his ability) to clean up the loose ball and be composed with the footy going inside 50.
"So hopefully we get both sides of it: the pressure and the class."
Teammate and fellow Suns Academy graduate Jed Walter also couldn't contain his excitement surrounding what Lombard could add to the finals-starved club.
"He's got the body ready to go straight away," Walter said.
"He's a bit like a Tassie Devil, just trying to get in there at once, he's been unbelievable.
View this post on Instagram
"The way he tackles is quite scary sometimes, but he's been unreal and he's fit into the team seamlessly. It's exciting to see what he does this year."
Gold Coast are likely to get a glimpse of Lombard and fellow fresh faces Daniel Rioli and John Noble in Thursday's match simulation against Brisbane and Collingwood.
The Suns will also get one final tune-up with Sydney on Friday, February 28 before Opening Round on Saturday, March 8.
