At the start of the season there was renewed optimism about the AFL’s two Queensland sides being top eight contenders.
With Guy McKenna sacked and replaced by one of the coaching game’s best strategists, Rodney Eade, and with a talented young list that should have been about to hit their prime, the Suns seemed to have come across a gold mine.
Finals were surely a certainty with Gary Ablett’s return from injury.
In the case of Brisbane, they chased some star midfielders who wanted to head to the sunshine state in Collingwood’s Dayne Beams and Allen Christensen from Geelong, as well as Carlton hard nut Mitch Robinson.
Combined with excellent on-ballers like Daniel Rich, Tom Rockliff, Jack Redden and Pearce Hanley, they had a brigade which ran as deep as most clubs, which is so important in this competition. These additions were seen as complementing a side that had made significant strides in the second half of 2014.
However, as we approach the halfway mark of the season, both Queensland sides have had shockers, with the Lions in 16th spot and the Suns on the bottom, getting thrashed most weeks.
Gold Coast are missing four of their best midfielders in Ablett, David Swallow, Jaeger O’Meara and Dion Prestia, with the latter two out for the rest of the season. Any team would struggle, no matter how solid their depth, to replace players of that calibre for long periods of time.
But there’s also the growing number of off-field issues.
Most of us like a drink – in moderation, mind you – however, several Gold Coast players are choosing the wrong time to have a sip including Harley Bennell, who is fast becoming a wasted talent, Trent McKenzie and Brandon Matera.
Then there’s Charlie Dixon and Jack Martin’s dumb decision. The night before the Hawthorn clash in Launceston, they elect to have a glass of wine or two. How serious are these guys about being successful footballers and playing in a team that craves success on a consistent basis?
The Gold Coast has a horrible record of sporting teams in elite competitions like the NRL and the NBL having success and surviving. The environment doesn’t seem right.
The AFL has invested too much time and especially money into the Suns for them to fall over, but even under a reputable coach like Eade they are going backwards at a rate of knots.
From the outside you hear the players are not on the same page: you have the group that like a good time and the other, more sensible crew. Eade has been renowned over the years to give his team a rocket or 10 if they need it. Clearly the Suns require thousands.
They also lack leaders, with Ablett obviously a great player but seemingly not a natural leader. There’s Michael Rischitelli and young Tom Lynch, but that’s about it.
Eade will weed out the riff raff, however, the Suns administrators have to forget about finals glory for some time yet.
As far as the Lions are concerned, they need an experienced key forward and key defender. They haven’t replaced Jonathan Brown, with Michael Close, Dan McStay and Jonathan Freeman all part of a long injury list.
Veteran defenders Dan Merrett and Matt Maguire are also injured, and very close to the end of their careers, with Justin Clarke still developing and Darcy Gardiner, Hugh Beasley and Jordan Bourke all just starting out.
These sides can’t afford to languish down the bottom for too long, because the inroads the AFL have made into Queensland could evaporate pretty quickly. The Lions have made the finals once since their last grand final appearance in 2004 and seem to have been rebuilding forever.
When they recruit high draft picks from other states, they are having trouble hanging onto them. Their first selection from 2013, South Australian James Aish, is seemingly on the way out, even though he is yet to prove himself.
It’s a long row to hoe for the Suns and Brisbane, but there has to be some improvement in the second half of the season, as they are becoming irrelevant in the football landscape.
Don Freo
Guest
Can anyone translate this? What the...?
Don Freo's Love Child
Guest
Says the man from the state where the burnt toast seagulls won a flag with 7 all australians who were pre draft concessions - mainwaring (initial selection), turley, matera, worsfold, jakovich, mckenna, pyke and a 100 season goalkicker (sumich) who was another predraft concession (jewf hart might have been too) - as for freo - they bumbled their draft concessions - peter bell and peter miller (and traded bell later) - yep fold the victorian teams cos the wa market will support the advertsing budget
Don Freo's Love Child
Guest
Only one fitzroy star - Chris Johnson - they bought Lynch before that - and the salary concessions were to prevent the walkouts of homesickers - since that concession has gone they lose player after player - and don't forget even with the concessions headland, o'bree, molloy and hilton walked out
Malco
Guest
It's very different when you compare the Bulldogs lack of success to Queenslands lack of success in the AFL. In Melbourne people don't seem to follow anything but AFL. There loyal to their teams to the enth degree and if they have a few bad seasons they stick it out cause there is no other real support competing with their interest. AFL well has a monopoly over the Melbourne sports market well trumping League and Rugby. However In Queensland League and Rugby WELL trump AFL in popularity so if a few Queensland AFL teams Are not doing well then the majority of the population will loose interest very quickly and go back to supporting the teams and codes that they were following first, I.e the Broncos, NQLD, Titans and the Reds. League and Rugby will always have that monopsony in Queensland with AFL only a small player in the market. If the QLD teams keep performing badly then they may well flop, conceding to other codes
Tricky
Guest
That's how Brissie got their 3peat - magical powers (read salary cap concessions) with a good dose of past Fitzroy stars (Lynch is one that comes to mind).
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Ronnie don't worry about the AFL loonies, worry about the present CCM owner who has been trying to find a new home for his franchise ever since he bought them. It's interesting that you mention CCM, because next to them, the Gold Coast Suns look like an absolute mega power on the sporting landscape. Here are some interesting stats. CCM's last four home attendances averaged 8,064. CCM's last four games rated 37k on Fox (that's not an error, that's actually 37k). The same figures for the Suns: Last four home attendnaces averaged 13,609 Last four games on Fox rated 146k. Now I'm the first to admit that the Suns figures are nothing special, certainly bottom two as far as the AFL is concerned for each metric, but you know, for a new club in Rugby League territory, in a regional centre no less, for a club which has never played finals, they aren't so bad.
Ronnie
Guest
Was expecting to see a barrage of code war comments on this article but it must be a sign of maturity from the soccer crowd that they don't bother commenting. If a similar article were posted: "CCM dying on the Central Coast" you can bet the usual group of AFL loonies would immediately jump into the discussion.
Gecko
Guest
The point in the article about off-field issues may not be a new point, but it's certainly worth discussion. Those who have rushed to criticise the article and present the Suns' problems of 2015 as temporary are ostriches. The Gold Coast does have unique problems with off field entertainment. If the Suns are to survive, they may need to find unique solutions, like recruiting more older players (especially family men) to help influence club culture, relaxing discipline rules from October - Feb, hiring special cultural mentors (not psychologists but ex-players who have skills in influencing behaviour) that can help guide younger players, and 'doing a Buckley' with ringleaders who cause trouble (ie. get rid of them fast). The Gold Coast's on field 'progress' in 2014 has been shown to be largely based on Ablett's work rate rather young players taking on more responsibility on or off the field. The article calls the problem like it is.
conchie
Roar Rookie
Fans don't need the clubs they barrack for to be world beaters, but they need them to really have a go, especially on there own dung hill, if they lose but they have seen them have a real go they will be happy enough. Old fashioned but the 3 D's, determination, desperation and dedication are just so true. You can't rewind the clock and GC will be back but the Eade appointment for mine was a mistake.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
I hear you conchie and I mentioned below to PaulD I would expect that both clubs would have a review into training, recovery, injury prevention and rehabilitation after this seasons concludes because the level of injury is completely out of whack with the rest of the competition. Additionally, I second you on the heart and determination aspect - they need to have a crack and not stop when the going gets tough.
conchie
Roar Rookie
If they are 4 kids from QLD then the temporary stopover is null and void, i also note that Oxley has been playing well for Collingwood and Bell has had a good year for Carlton both QLD boys and possibly worth a nibble at. The 2 Collingwood boys at the center of it's drugs scandal are also Qlders, i wonder what will happen there. For the GC these boys are on the drafting radar. Ethan Reeves - 177cm - Broadbeach Jesse Joyce - 180cm - Palm Beach Cody Filewood - 184cm - Mackay Dyson Buderick - 173cm - Labrador Connor West - 184cm - Labrador Curtis Marsden - 183cm - Palm Beach Jesse Esam - 188cm - Broadbeach Seb Fahey - 181cm - Broadbeach Josh Brown - 182cm - Gladstone Kurt Skuse - 193cm - Broadbeach Robert Blood - 186cm - Broadbeach Glenon Woosup - 180cm - Cairns Harris Newton - 197cm - Surfers Jarrod Butler - 181cm - Townsville Max Spencer - 189cm - Palm Beach Jack Bowes - 187cm - Cairns Brad Scheer - 184cm - Palm Beach Daniel Charlesworth - 189cm - Cairns
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
TomC I wonder the same thing...
conchie
Roar Rookie
Well then, surely the coach must take some responsibility for a massive injury list, either over training or under training ?!!. Butchering the ball has to do with confidence, experience and talent, a manic desire to get the ball in a contest or manic desperation in defence does not require a great amount of skill. A "great' coach like Eade is meant to bring this. How many premierships has Eade got ?.
TomC
Roar Guru
The cynical side of me wonders if Queensland will be a home for four more quality kids, or just a temporary stopover.
TheBlackCat1859
Guest
This headline is about (the only) two Queensland AFL teams. It reads as if it is about the sport of Australian football in Queensland. Most of the time I read about "AFL" and it refers to the sport. This time I'm reading "Aussie rules" and it's referring to the AFL competition. Get it right.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
TomC There certainly were issues prior to the injury toll at both Clubs and they get exposed when injuries set in. For the Lions it was poor forward planning in both the forward and defensive 50's and now there are 20-22 year old kids holding down key defensive posts. For the Suns it was seemingly discipline off-field and lack of accountability of being professional footballers. With the draft picks I was thinking more along the lines of the fact that QLD footy SHOULD be home to at least 4 more quality kids when the next draft period is over. Hopefully they are desperate to play regular AFL footy and show that on the training track because winning a spot in the either the Suns or Lions line-ups would be a lot easier then say Freo, Hawthorn or Sydney.
TomC
Roar Guru
Great post as usual, SportsFan, but I'd make two points. Firstly, while it's natural to focus on the injury list at both clubs, they clearly had serious problems even before the injuries really started to bite. Secondly, I think an early draft pick is neither here nor there for the Suns. They've had plenty of them.
Kirk
Guest
turbodewd and his vendetta against the Titans, but when the Raiders get bad crowds (worse than the Titans) its David Smiths fault.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
Conchie at what stage this year has Eade had access to a full Suns list to play open attractive footy? On the skills front - there are absolutely skills issues. That would mainly be down to the fact that all the most talented players are sitting on the sidelines coupled with fitness issues, where players cannot run hard enough for long enough to give teammates an option to pass the ball to. Having watched all the Suns games either at the ground or on TV they butcher the ball more than just about any other team along with the Lions. I certainly agree with you regarding hardness and if you look at a couple of players like Aaron Hall and Zac Smith who are fully fit but playing in the NEAFL when the Suns have the injury list that they do, the message hopefully gets across to them that if you don't want to put your body over the ball you won't be playing AFL. Was Eade the right choice? Maybe, maybe not - I will reserve judgement until he has a fit list, including Ablett somewhere near his best and then see how the team goes.
conchie
Roar Rookie
That's a very good point.