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While the Gold Coast Suns were victorious in the Queensland derby, it remains to be seen whether there are any winners in the Sunshine State.
The Suns, for now, have bragging rights over the Brisbane Lions after demolishing them by 64 points on Saturday.
But it’s the sorry state of affairs off-field that has come under the microscope at both clubs.
For Brisbane, it’s coach Justin Leppitsch’s clash with rookie Zac O’Brien at the half-time break in the Brisbane Reserves match in the NEAFL.
And for the Suns, it is the suspension of three of its brightest talent – Harley Bennell, Trent McKenzie and Brandon Matera – after defying team instructions to abstain from drinking over the weekend.
Leppitsch has had a poor couple of weeks in fronting the media and discussing his club’s miserly start to 2015.
After the club’s loss to the Suns, Leppitsch was asked about Steven May’s bump on captain Tom Rockliff, and whether or not he thought the incident was worthy of suspension. Leppitsch dismissed the premise of the question and responded by saying May’s intention to bump showed he at least cared.
It was a revealing response and one that hinted at cracks within the Brisbane family.
The cracks have widened after the revelations that Leppitsch was overly physical with Zac O’Brien after the rookie player’s insubordination to reserves coach Shane Woewodin in the NEAFL.
While Leppitsch has since apologised for the incident and admitted disappointment with himself, the timing of the clash speaks volumes to the frustrated and resigned coach we saw at Brisbane’s post-match press conference.
Does he still have the players’ confidence? And does he have confidence in his players?
And while the Suns now have four points on the board – and Rodney Eade his maiden victory as coach – the fallout from Saturday’s clash with Brisbane has all but overshadowed that win.
Harley Bennell, Trent McKenzie and Brandon Matera defied the team and went out drinking, prompting discussion on whether the Suns have a social or cultural problem at the club. It’s a discussion that has been bubbling for some time, but the actions of those three players has erupted and propelled the discourse well and truly into the spotlight.
This is not the first time Bennell has been suspended by the club, but perhaps it is the first time that his talent has truly been overlooked for his rock-star attitude. Indeed, the club is believed to have discussed trading the former number two draft pick because of his ongoing attitude problem.
If this is the tone and standard that Rocket wants to set then perhaps he really is rebuilding the club, at least in terms of culture.
And it is a culture that has been under the microscope, especially regarding the special treatment given to Gary Ablett, who has been known to train away from the playing group and given the liberty to warm up by shooting hoops.
While the suspensions of the Gold Coast trio may prove to be a catalyst for cultural change at the club, they could not have come at a worse time for the Suns’ selection committee.
With the plethora of injured players at the club – as well as the three-week suspension to defender Steven May – the Suns now only have 26 players to choose from for this weekend’s clash against Adelaide. It will be a very unlucky few who are fit but miss out on selection.
As for Brisbane, selection may also be tricky.
Captain Tom Rockliff has now taken two big hits in the only two games he has played for the season – the first of which left him with a punctured lung and broken ribs and the second of which saw him subbed out with concussion.
The Lions may not want to risk playing their talented captain, but the risk of not playing him increases the likelihood of the club losing its sixth consecutive game.
Last week I wrote about the AFL’s dire predicament in Queensland after the Lions and the Suns were the only two teams in the competition yet to win a game. This is the unintended sequel.
But it’s also a reminder of the link that often exists between poor performance on and off the field. The Suns may have beaten Brisbane last weekend, but neither team are winners in light of their off-field dramas.
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