GOLD Coast full-back Rory Thompson is in doubt for round one after illness further set back an already disrupted pre-season.
Thompson suffered a bout of gastro at the weekend that has limited his training during the week and left a big question mark over his availability for Sunday's final practice match against Collingwood.
The 22-year-old has not played either of the Suns' NAB Challenge matches after hip surgery in the off-season delayed the start of his pre-season.
Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna said he had not ruled Thompson out for Sunday's match, but "right now, the answer is probably no".
He then hinted that without a pre-season match under his belt, it would be difficult to select him for round one against Richmond on March 15.
"For round one versus the other 21 games, I'd prefer him right for the other 21 games if it means we have to extend his pre-season because he's not quite right," McKenna said.
"I'm not saying it puts a line through him for round one, but then we just have to assess where his body's at and the conditioning.
"There's three very good talls that play at Richmond, then there's another three very good talls that play at Fremantle (in round two). We don't want to set him up to fail."
Thompson has become one of the Suns' most important players after a brilliant 2013 season that had him finish fourth in the club's best and fairest.
He took the opposition's most dangerous tall forward every week, and often succeeded, having the better of match-ups with Nick Riewoldt, Drew Petrie and Jack Riewoldt along the way.
He took on extra responsibility in the absence of Nathan Bock who was still fully recovering from the broken leg he sustained in 2012.
Bock is also slowly regaining fitness after having the rod from his leg removed in the off-season.
"We've just got to manage Rory and make sure we maximise his year and not put him at risk," McKenna said.
"We don’t want to set him up to fail by bringing him back too early and break him down, that'd be the worst thing we could do."
Dion Prestia (calf) is likely to see his first action of the pre-season against the Magpies and play half a game.
