Midfielder Michael Rischitelli, a foundation member of the expansion club who has played 226 games for the Brisbane and the Suns, was full of praise for the 22-year-old, who is originally from Burnie, when asked on Wednesday. 

“Lachie has been really good and has fitted in really well,’’ he told Fairfax Media ahead of the Suns’ visit to Launceston’s UTAS Stadium to play Hawthorn on Saturday.

“Off half-back he has given us plenty of run as he is pretty quick and uses the football really, really well.

“I think he is building and starting to get a bit of momentum in that new role.

“He is well liked within the group, which is a good place to be when you come into a new environment and he is just a good teammate to have.

“He is real big on just playing his role, and we saw on the weekend his ability to win his own ball and deliver it was great, and he will just keep learning and keep getting better.”

Weller, who moved to the Gold Coast with his family after his brother Maverick (who is now at St Kilda) was at the Suns, is averaging 19.2 touches, 4.1 marks and 2.2 tackles at his new club.

He was traded to the Suns from Fremantle in exchange for the second pick in last year’s national draft. 

Rischitelli said his side would take some confidence from the fact they knocked off the Hawks twice last year.

RELATED

“If we apply ourselves the same way that we have in our last couple of attempts, we’ll give ourselves every shot at playing well and hopefully getting the four points,’’ the 32-year-old said.

“In those two games we really started well and we really finished off well. 

“You hear a lot about playing the whole four quarters, but with those games we played each quarter, really, really well and we had a gameplan and we stuck at it, and if we do that we can give ourselves a good shot.”

Finishing games is something the Suns haven’t done that well in recent times, highlighted by its loss to St Kilda last week after being 31 points up at the last change.

Gold Coast has only scored 0.2 in its past four final quarters to highlight that fact.

“I thought we did some really good things for the first three quarters and the scoreboard was showing that,’’ he said.

“With the last quarter, and Stewey (coach Stuart Dew) did mention this, we did freeze up and allowed them to come back and I’m not too sure if that was trying to hold the win, but the first three quarters we didn’t wait for them, we were the ones to make the first move.

“We definitely stopped doing that and if you do that, unfortunately the opposition is going to keep throwing things at you and that’s what happened on the weekend to us.”

He believed getting on the front foot would be important against Hawthorn.

“They are a very good kicking side and have been for a very long time, and I have noticed that a lot of their defensive zones have been really, really good.

“But we just need to worry about how we go about at it and not focus too much on the Hawks.

“Obviously we need to respect them as they have been a very good side for a very long time, but we are going to there and give it our all, stick to our structures and stick to our roles and come out and play four quarters.” 

The Suns, who have a 0-4 record in Launceston, will enter Saturday’s match with a 3-9 record in 15^th position on the ladder, while the 7-5 Hawks are ninth.

Saturday’s game will start at 1.45pm.

WHAT: AFL round 14, Hawthorn v Gold Coast 

WHERE: UTAS Stadium, Launceston

WHEN: Saturday, 1.45pm

TICKETS: Available from www.ticketmaster.com.au

KIDS GO FREE at this Saturday’s Hawthorn v Gold Coast game! Free face-painting, jumping castle, balloon animals, giveaways and more! Head to www.hawthornfc.com.au/tickets for more info.