Gold Coast’s key defender Nathan Bock will be a legitimate ‘first goal’ bet this AFL season after an impressive performance at full forward against Geelong on Friday night.
The Cats easily won the second-round, pre-season cup encounter 1.16.13 (118) to 1.8.12 (69) in front of 5381 fans at Metricon Stadium but the Suns still walked away with plenty of positives ahead of their second season.
Suns captain Gary Ablett, with a team high 24 disposals, has hit form straight away, nimble defender Harley Bennell has sharply improved and Bock shapes as a much needed go-to forward for 2012.
However it will be round three of the regular season before Bock can play.
He was suspended for two matches late last year for disclosing information to third parties that he was going to play forward in a match on which there was a successful first-goal betting plunge.
But on Friday night’s form, it’s very likely Bock will be a significant part of a new look attack.
He was strong in the air and kicked straight and his solid frame adds some much needed grunt deep to their forward line.
Bock kicked the Suns’ first three goals, including a nine-pointer, and followed up with another goal in the third term’
In Bock’s absence in defence, Matthew Warnock, who was recruited from Melbourne, utility Jared Brennan and Steven May played as three key defenders and had their hands full.
Premiership forward Tom Hawkins drew a lot of attention and, while he didn’t dominate the aerial duels, he brought the ball to ground enough for Jimmy Bartel (three goals), Steven Motlop (two) and Cameron Guthrie (one) to swoop.
Geelong, with just seven players from last year’s premiership side, had 12 individual goal kickers and, despite the absence of more than a dozen of their best players, they were far too polished for the Suns.
Gold Coast drew within 14 points late in the third term before Geelong out gunned them by 34 points in the final term in a disappointing finish for the Suns.
Geelong coach Chris Scott said rookie Jordan Schroder and Motlop, who has played just five senior matches, were among those painting a bright future for the club.
“We thought the basis of our 2014 and 2015 team were out there tonight,” Scott told reporters.
“It was only NAB Cup round two, but there was definitely some good signs for the future.
“We really value balanced players with flexibility in position and can defend as well as attack and certainly some of the young players, Shroeder and Motlop, know where there goals are.”
Suns coach Guy McKenna said it was one of the more disconnected team performances given there were several incidents of friendly fire including Campbell Brown running head on into Dion Prestia who was carrying the ball.
“As bad as we turned the ball over and Geelong hurt us, we were still only 15 points down at three quarter time against the reigning premiers,” McKenna told reporters.
“We probably ran into ourselves than we did the opposition.”
Yet McKenna thought they Suns had improved on last year and many of his younger charges had bulked up over the summer.
“They might not look like they have physically grown up but they have certainly got stronger in the gym and now it’s their belief that they can hang on for longer,” he said.
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