The Gary Ablett Suns – ah, Gold Coast Suns – are in year four, which is grade three in primary school. When I was in primary school, grade three was the year I realised I was developing, that the years were going by.
That one day I’d make it, I’d finish school but I was still still so far away…
Guy McKenna’s boys had a valiant season in 2013, winning eight games and taking some big scalps. Even though there were no finals, it was still a success.
Metricon Stadium is humid and greasy. Like many interstate teams, the Suns train on the facility they play on. Can they take advantage of their superior home-ground advantage?
To make it to the finals the Suns must identify a forward target.
The Suns ranked 15th in goals kicked last season and besides big wins over Greater Western Sydney and Melbourne, the Suns never scored more than 93-points in a win last season.
None of their players averaged over two goals a game. When you consider their leading goal kicker was their best midfielder, it speaks volumes of the forward line.
The Suns forwards aren’t bad, talls take time; they just haven’t developed like the midfield.
Charlie Dixon (19 goals last year) and Sam Day (12 goals) have stalled in their development and are being trialled in other areas. Tom Lynch has been elevated to the leadership group and had a good pre-season.
Not only do the Suns need their talls to kick goals, they need them to present inside 50 where they ranked 14th in marks. One of these big bodies needs to stand up in 2014.
After struggling with injury last season, Brandon Matera looks healthy and Aaron Hall (24 goals) showed promise last season. Highly rated 19-year-old Jack Martin will be a dangerous goal-kicking option from the midfield.
The midfield talent is strong. What more can be said about Gary? You know you’re talking about a superstar when you can just type his first name. Gary’s a freak and I’m not wasting your time telling you otherwise. He carries too much of the load and needs help.
Watching Jaeger O’Meara is like being put in a portal back to 2002-03 to see a young Chris Judd. Is he a Brownlow medal smokey or does Gary steal too many votes?
Jaeger-bomb averaged 21 touches last season and was top-20 in tackles. I’m not sure what Jaeger-bomb means in a footy context yet, good games maybe?
David Swallow and Dion Prestia are going to be 200+ game veterans, but is there enough depth in the middle? Harley Bennell is smooth but can go missing and Michael Rischitelli needs to bounce back from two injury-riddled seasons.
Too much work falls to Gary. Ablett had the most kicks, handballs, and goals for the Suns. He’s tagged heavily we know, and the Suns do an excellent job of protecting him and giving him the ball when they can. But could less Gary mean more for the Suns?
Ruckman Zac Smith can’t come back quickly enough from his knee injury and will add strength around the ground.
The backline take after their coach – tough, honest and unforgiving. Rory Thompson should be in everyone’s Supercoach team. And speaking of Supercoach, Nathan Bock is a steal.
Steven May is developing into a nice swingman and Trent McKenzie has a lethal left foot from defence.
With a lack of forward firepower, the Suns will hope to grind victories out rather than let shootouts occur. This is the reason why I can’t place them any higher on my Lad-View. They will win home games but how many away wins can they steal?
Now in grade three, the Suns seem on the verge of something, but I wonder if that something is just talk of the Suns in the finals again, rather than actually seeing them make it.
Lad-View prediction: 13th
Individual Predictions
Best and fairest: Gary
Goal kicking award: Charlie Dixon
In the hot seat in 2014: We’ll give them til grade four before hot seat talk starts…
Player you need to watch in 2014: Jaeger Bomb, Jack Martin
Things most looking forward to seeing in 2014: Jarger Bomb
Novelty blog award: Not mention Charlie Dixons amazing beard, until now…
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