Guy McKenna failing at Gold Coast Suns
Roar Rookie Related coverage
As the Gold Coast Suns close out their second year, it’s interesting to compare their first two seasons to the other new starters the AFL has had over the last 25 years.
For mine they have flown under the radar this year, and Guy McKenna has escaped some real hard scrutiny, mainly because the hard reality isn’t pleasant.
It looks unlikely they will win either of their last two games against either the Crows or Blues, so they will be left with a grand total of five wins in two seasons.
How does this compare to other new starters over the years?
West Coast Eagles won 24 games; Brisbane Bears 13; Adelaide Crows 21; Fremantle Dockers 15, and Port Adelaide won 19 games.
Even the ‘bad news’ Bears managed to double their wins. The diabolical Dockers tripled their total.
What about the first coaches? The Eagles’ Ron Alexander only lasted a season, and then John Todd two seasons.
The Bears Peter Knights was gone before the end of season three, while Graham Cornes had four years at the Crows.
Gerard Neesham also had four at the Dockers, while John Cahill had just the two years before Mark Williams took over.
The points difference for each club after their first completed season reads: Bears -553, Eagles -52, Crows -241, Dockers -158, Port -165.
The Suns are currently sitting on -893. Should they suffer significant defeats in their last two games, the total hurtles back towards over 1000 points in the red.
The last team to have two consecutive years of over -1000 was Fitzroy in 1995-1996. And we know what happened to them.
No side has had such a disastrous start in the last 25 years.
And while the club and the AFL have sold the “we are stockpiling talent” line, it is one case to acquire ability and another to develop it.
I would think at a minimum the Suns would have to win 6-8 games next season to show some improvement and guarantee Guy Mckenna his continuation into 2014.
With average home attendance of 13,500 at Metricon Stadium, the Suns needs to start building a winning culture, so as to ensure they build a quality long term culture and not one which plagued the Bears at the start of their life before moving permanently to Brisbane.
Let’s not forget the NRL has had the Giants, Seagulls, Gladiators, Chargers and now Titans all having a go at the Gold Coast, with the Titans being a reported $35 million earlier in the year.
As the Eagles proved with Malthouse, the Crows with Blight – and the Dockers have finally worked out with aquiring Lyon – the value of an experienced strong coach is crucial at the start of a clubs life.
Does Paul Roos like sun, sand and surf?
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- AFL, Gold Coast Suns, Guy McKenna
August 23rd 2012 @ 6:17am
Frankie said | August 23rd 2012 @ 6:17am | Report comment
What’s with southeast Queensland AFL clubs keeping coaches with losing records?
The lack of improvement by the Suns, in terms of their worse record this season, demands investigation, as the author of this article argues.
Many of us AFL fans in Queensland would like to support the Suns, but are now put off by the lack of improvement.
The Suns organisation, its marketing communications, its engagement with its fans, the team colours, logo, and song are all good — however, the total package is spoiled by the very poor on field performance.
Hey, doesn’t the same logic, multi-year poor on field performance, raise questions about Michael Voss? Many Lions fans were never convinced by the club or Voss that he was the right man for the job.
August 23rd 2012 @ 9:26am
Australian Rules said | August 23rd 2012 @ 9:26am | Report comment
This is a legitimate article.
If the Suns’ on-field performance has not improved by this time next year, Bluey will be gone.
You would love Malthouse to get the GC blank canvass with all its resources…won’t happen, but it’d be great.
August 23rd 2012 @ 2:46pm
Jogger said | August 23rd 2012 @ 2:46pm | Report comment
An indication of the current mentality of the GC ‘No Brains Trust’ is the fact that they have signed up so many useless flog players and coaches on high dollars and extended years i.e. Brennan, Brown, Rischitelli, Coad, Ashcroft, Mckenna etc Plus the GC is run by a lawyer without a clue about the Club, this was proven when interviewed on Fox Footy, he could only refer to his under age players and of course Ablett and Rischitelli . Funny how one important player he did not mention was dumped from the side after a 22 possession game and the other omission by the lawyer was a player who currently commands an average of 24 plus possessions.Oh yeh! We have to keep Hunt and Ablett in contract at a cost of millions, guess what? They are not worth it! Well why don’t we go and buy another destined to fail at about 1.6 million, go Tippett, should be good for morale, especially the unmentioned, uncontracted and unloved sacraficial guns who have held this out fit together, they will be real glad.
August 23rd 2012 @ 3:02pm
Christo the Daddyo said | August 23rd 2012 @ 3:02pm | Report comment
[Sigh...]
Again we have someone with the attention span of about five minutes. The AFL has repeatedly said that they view the Suns (and the Giants for that matter) as long term investments. Both the new teams are made up of very young and inexperienced players – they will take time to mature in both a physical sense, and also in a football experience sense.
If there are no signs of improvement by the end of the third season, then I would start to have a few concerns, but we’re not there yet.
And in the interests of consistency, I presume you’re going to write the same article about Sheedy and Williams at the Giants in twelve months? Because I can assure you the Giants won’t be winning too many games in their second year either.
August 23rd 2012 @ 5:07pm
William Goat said | August 23rd 2012 @ 5:07pm | Report comment
I’m not going to bother looking up stats so perhaps you could give us a further comparison of how those earlier clubs fared in their next few years after coaches changed etc ? Did changing staff result in improvement ? Were there new players recruited etc ?
I took it that the new clubs were created with a long term view & the staff were employed with that in mind to give some stability & a real chance to grow rather than be subjected to the normal pressure of results etc that is part of AFL footy.
I am a Carlton fan living in Far North QLD & have adopted the Suns as my second team until we get an AFL club in Cairns ( obviously quite a way down the track) so I would like to see them do well but appreciate it will take time to build the club. I’d hate to see a good coach sacked on the basis of just results. If the young players are not developing or there are tactical or style problems then that can’t be let go, but if the club is developed for the long term lets actually give it a long term before deciding.
August 23rd 2012 @ 5:28pm
Andrew A said | August 23rd 2012 @ 5:28pm | Report comment
There are question marks as to whether bringing in a lot of talented juniors at the one club at the same time will result in future success. The blend of youth and experience is too far skewed to youth, resulting in the juniors not being mentored sufficiently at the start, thus stifling their development. Plus it can’t be fun for anyone knowing the club will lose almost every week due to inexperience. Crowds won’t enjoy losing all the time and won’t turn up in numbers until they start winning, especially in rugby league heartland. Perhaps the bulk of the side should have included more experienced players, topped up by a small number of talented juniors, so they could enjoy more wins at the outset and build some camaraderie and club culture from victories.
August 23rd 2012 @ 5:31pm
Brewski said | August 23rd 2012 @ 5:31pm | Report comment
Watch for around 10 wins next year from the Suns, it really is amazing how close a team can be to turning a corner , without really anyone seeing it.
Suddenly it just clicks into place.
That is my prediction, Bluey is a good coach.
August 23rd 2012 @ 9:41pm
Milz said | August 23rd 2012 @ 9:41pm | Report comment
Off on a tangent but whatever happened to The Cattery?
August 24th 2012 @ 5:55am
Bee Bee said | August 24th 2012 @ 5:55am | Report comment
The Cattery is in Geelong.
I think you are lost. Your blog is somewhere else. But don’t worry its where all the cool people are. Only us uncool QLD AFL people here.
August 24th 2012 @ 6:25am
Milz said | August 24th 2012 @ 6:25am | Report comment
It was a post, not a blog. And yes you are uncool.
August 24th 2012 @ 6:39am
Bee Bee said | August 24th 2012 @ 6:39am | Report comment
Sorry Mr postman. I will go blog somewhere else.