When the Gold Coast Suns announced their vision earlier this year to have 20,000 members and to play in a grand final within the next three years, a lot of people raised their eyebrows.
One of those in particular was former Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett, who spoke earlier this year at a Suns luncheon on the Gold Coast and had this to say:
“You always have to have goals just beyond your reach…. There’s no point implementing goals that are easily achievable.
“The goal of reaching 20,000 members and a premiership in the next three years is a big ask – yet it’s certainly not impossible.”
Those words should ring in the ears of many and certainly the warning signs are there for all the other clubs to see.
Other clubs should start to hear the footsteps that the Gold Coast Suns are making toward achieving their goals.
The current membership tally of the Gold Coast club sits at 12,260, so they are well on track to gaining more support throughout the Queensland community, especially as they are forming an important grassroots partnership with the Southport Sharks.
And as the Gold Coast Suns onfield success starts to become more apparent, more supporters are likely to jump on board as members. The last two games the Gold Coast has played should provide great encouragement for their supporters as they more then matched it with two of the benchmark teams in the competition.
Hawthorn and Geelong have been big players in the past few seasons winning four flags between them out of the last six grand finals (the other two were won by Sydney and Collingwood) and appearing in five of the last six grand finals.
The scoreboard on Saturday didn’t reflect how well the Suns youngsters played; they more than matched a Geelong team that has arguably been the best all year.
They made more tackles then Geelong (68-59) and won the hitouts (40-31). This is important as the Gold Coast didn’t have their number one choice ruckman Zac Smith, who has been sidelined by injury.
Another stat is the Gold Coast players outside of Gary Ablett who are starting to win the ball. Dion Prestia had 29 disposals, Stanley 25, first year player O’Meara had 23, with eight other players having 15 or more touches for the game.
They have more wins than they had for the entire season of 2012, so the Suns are improving at a much faster rate then anyone could have expected them too.
Add too the fact that next season the Suns gain highly talented youngster Jack Martin, who they picked up in the mini draft, and the Suns are more then capable of causing some headaches within the next few years.
Whilst their plan may have been ambitious it seems to have played dividends.
With calls to sack Guy McKenna early in his coaching career, it appears evident that his gameplan has been drilled into the Gold Coast Suns and with arguably the best player in the league in Ablett to lead the team, the sky is the limit for this talented group of youngsters.
Macca
Guest
Steve - I played 250 games of football at an adult level (I got told off once for calling it senior football) pluas possibly another 100 as a junior largely in defence so I know there are things that can't be measured simply in possesions. However you said Hunt is a great tackler - yet he doesn't lay many tackles, you said he was great at clearances, yet he only has 9 for the season, you say he does the unseen stuff - but he only has 8 1 percenters. I can't find his pressure acts stats but from memory they are also unimpressive. You see these days there are stats kept on all the things that were previously "unseen" so his value can be demonstrated. And no matter how good the leader they need to actually be performing - and the fact the Suns have won more games with out haunt than with him over this season and the last demonstrates they don't need him to inspire them. And it isn't that I don't like Hunt, I am just not blinded to his failings like his apologisers! And agian who would you drop to put him in?
Steve
Guest
So we know you don't like Hunt Macca. Have you ever played a team sport Macca? Not every player gets picked on stats. Some players get picked because they are good leaders, they say the right things at the right times and pick others up when they are down on confidence. I will tell you right now,the team loves having Hunt in the side when he is fit, he is an inspirational player that others feed off
Macca
Guest
Roy - I have been ridiculed for my views on Hunt - with every passing week it becomes more obvious they are correct - I think I am allowed to point that out.
Macca
Guest
Brendan - Malthouse does have the club heading in the right direction but if you took Murphy, Henderson, Jamison out like Ratten had (plus others) he might be struggling. Also as I have previously said Malthouse didn't change the list much, the list was maturing naturally, yes he may have put some extra polish on but who is to say the blues wouldn't be in a similar position under Ratten, after all they haven't beaten a top side yet.
Macca
Guest
Steve - which players have similar stats? How old are they? Again out of the side that played so well against Geelong who would you drop to fit Hunt in? And if Bennell & Brennan were also available who else would go?
Australian Rules
Guest
The idea that poor ol' Norf, Bullies and the Dees haven't recieved massive help from the AFL is frankly ridiculous.
Roy
Guest
Macca, you really need to let go of this obsession with Hunt. Your views are abundantly clear. Move on pal.
Stavros
Guest
So Franko, how would you grow the game then? There is a lot of competition in Queensland, and you have to do that bit extra to entice new fans. You mentioned earlier that the Suns have been tweaking their membership, so its clear you don't have a clue. My guess is that you don't really want the game to grow.
Riddos
Guest
Looks like we'll find out soon enough where Hunt fits in, due back at least to NEAFL level this weekend.
Brendan
Guest
Steve i was aware of the injury problems the Suns had against Geelomg .Geelong has been in the same position this year and won.The Suns have improved but so they should given the makeup of the team and i am looking forward to seeing them play North this week. Macca i agree many sides will be wary of the Suns but i don't think i have been harsh .Ablett is the best player in the comp and from what i have seen of O'meara he may well be the best one day as well. Last year you and i exchanged alot of dialogue about your blueboys where you thought i was too critical of Ratten and various players this season Malthouse has the club heading in the rifght direction.Its the same for the Suns lets not praise 9 goal losses this team if it is to be a force in the next 3 years has to step up and start beating good teams starting with North this week.
Craig
Guest
Certainly capable of making the Grand Final within 3 years. Ablett is still killing it and they have so many exciting young players. They have the potential to dominate the league for a long stretch.
Steve
Guest
The guy will be there no matter what your stats say. There are other players in the game with simular stats to him. Are you a Sun's fan? Have you been to all their games? Do you see what he does out there? Do you just look at stats to determine if a player is good or not? Because that is what it sounds like. He will be there playing in our first finals game no matter what the knockers say. If he wasn't good enough to be there he wouldn't be in the side and that is all there is to it. Bluey wouldn't risk a win just to give Hunt games.
andyincanberra
Guest
I think it's the same situation as when the Giants played a twilight match in Canberra early in the season. They actually outdrew the Raiders in terms of crowd size on the same weekend. Anyway, it's a great time for families with kids, or for those of us lucky enough to leave the wife and kids at home, a great lead-in to a night at the pub.
Macca
Guest
One more stat Steve he has just 8 "1 percenters" for the year - harldy the numbers of someone bringing "toughness"
Macca
Guest
Steve - Firstly if he was tagging yes his possesions could be down (but look at the likes of Carrazzo or even Cahcia or Curnow and you will see his possessions are a lot lower than the average) but things like contested possessions, tackles, clearances and pressure acts would be high, but they aren't. And if he wasn't tagging Kennedy for the whole game what was he doing for the rest of it - his 11 possessions suggest it wasn't getting the ball! He has also tagged in some games but also played forward in others where he has failed to hit the scoreboard. Whenever I point to Hunt's stats his defenders always say "you can use stats to prove anything you want" but no one ever uses them to demonstrate that he is a good player or even doing his job. In the past 2 years the Suns have won more games without him than with him so the young blokes are hardly struggling without him and if he was "adding toughness" why isn't he getting more tackles, clearances & contested possessions?
Steve
Guest
Macca as I said he is playing a tagging role this year and of course his stats are going to be down because of it, did you see the Sydney game? He wasn't tagging Kennedy for the whole game but for the time he was on him he kept him quiet. You can bring up any stats you like but ill tell you now when Hunt is in the team he is not there as a token member, he has earnt his spot through hard work and 99% of Sun's fans want him there. He adds a toughness that most of the younger players don't have yet and he is the 1 player that most don't want to run into out on the ground.
Macca
Guest
Yep - 10 and how many AFL supporters are their in Victoria? Think aboutis as a percentage of total AFL support and 10 is about right I would suggest.
Macca
Guest
Steve - Please provide some evidence to support your assertions on Hunts worth! Here's some help - on tackling in 4 of his 6 games he has laid 4 or less tackles (1,1,3 &4) hardly the stats of one of the best tacklers! He averages just 11 possesions and twice had just 6 (round 1 & round 6) One of his "good tagging performances saw Josh kennedy get just 28 possessions and a goal. He averages just 5.5 contested possesions per game (compared to 6.5 Uncontested) so he isn't doing the hard work for the more skilled players And despite being "great at clearances" he gets just 1.5 a game. And tell me who out of the team would he replace, especially if Bennell & Brennan come in.
Australian Rules
Guest
I believe for the game to be truly national, then growth of footy in this area is critical. There are 10 clubs in Melbourne. 10.
Steve
Guest
Macca are you serious? Hunt is 1 of the best tacklers in the side, he also is great at clearences and has been doing a good job as a tagger keeping some good players quiet in the early rounds. The team don't play better just because he isn't there, other sides fear him and a lot of good commentators have said he I now a respected AFL player