The Gold Coast Suns’ 2015 season was an absolute catastrophe, both on and off the field.
The Suns’ on-field issues were mainly due to injuries to key players.
Gary Ablett, Jaeger O’Meara, David Swallow, Tom Nicholls, Mitch Hallahan, Trent McKenzie, Dion Prestia and Adam Saad all missed games throughout the season, which was too much of a blow for Gold Coast to handle.
On paper, Gold Coast have one of the league’s most devastating midfield line-ups, but that talent was hardly seen in 2015. Ablett played just six games, as did Swallow. Prestia only managed eight contests, and O’Meara missed the entire season due to knee surgery.
Even Nicholls, the Suns’ impressive ruckman, missed seven games due to injury.
Turning a negative into a positive, the injury troubles allowed younger players to emerge. Kade Kolodjashnij thrived under a heavier-than-expected workload, his run off the backline placing him sixth in the league in rebound 50s, while he averaged 22.3 disposals per game at a 75 per cent effective disposal percentage for the season.
Despite Kolodjashnij’s brilliant year, Tom Lynch shone a little brighter. The gun young forward took home Gold Coast’s best and fairest award, kicking a career-high 43 goals, removing some of the doubt that surrounded him earlier in his career. With Charlie Dixon bolting to Port Adelaide in the off-season, Lynch will have even more space to operate and shine in the Suns forward line.
While some positives can be taken from the Suns’ on-field problems, the same cannot be said about the off-field issues.
Two incidents told the tale in 2015: a photo of now-Fremantle Docker Harley Bennell snorting a white substance ending up on the front of major newspapers across the country, and coach Rodney Eade suspending Dixon, Bennell, McKenzie, Jack Martin and Brandon Matera for breaking team alcohol rules.
Still, things are looking up for Eade’s men in 2016. With the aforementioned talent returning from the injury list, and players like Dixon and Bennell moved on, the Suns hope to regain some much-needed respect.
Eade has already stated that the culture and standards of the club are improving, and that positive off-field change should yield a season that easily breaks the four-win total of 2015.
Best 22
B: Adam Saad, Steven May, Jarrod Harbrow
HB: Nick Malceski, Rory Thompson, Kade Kolodjashnij
C: Jaeger O’Meara, David Swallow, Matt Rosa
HF: Jack Martin, Tom Lynch, Michael Rischitelli
F: Brandon Matera, Sam Day, Touk Miller
Foll: Tom Nicholls, Gary Ablett, Dion Prestia
INT: Mitch Hallahan, Jesse Lonergan, Aaron Hall, Trent McKenzie
MVP: Gary Ablett
Yes, he only played in six games last season. Yes, he is coming off another major surgery. Yes, the Suns had other players step up in his absence. But there is simply no way to argue that Ablett still isn’t the MVP up in the Gold Coast.
Just take a look at the numbers he put up in those aforementioned six games: averaging 22.8 disposals, 15.7 kicks, 7.2 handballs, 4.7 tackles, 2.0 marks and 1.7 goals per game. He also had a three-game stretch from Rounds 14-16 where he again looked like the Brownlow Medal winner the AFL world has come to love.
In Round 14, Ablett had 31 disposals and three goals, in Round 15 he racked up another 30 disposals, and in Round 16 – his best game of the season and one of the most impressive games from any player all season – Ablett had 30 disposals, an amazing 17 tackles and three goals.
Many said Ablett lost the mantle of the AFL’s best player in 2015, but he is set to regain that crown this season.
Future star: Jaeger O’Meara
Just as with Ablett, there are reasons O’Meara shouldn’t be highlighted this way, but there are more reasons why he should.
After his sensational 2014 season, in which he averaged 21.4 disposals, 12.2 kicks, 9.3 handballs, 6.4 tackles and 3.5 marks per game, many were already anointing O’Meara as the next Ablett. O’Meara’s ferocious tackling pressure along with his silky smooth skills with the football in his hands allowed him to rank fourth in inside 50s and ninth in tackles in 2014, as he established himself as a force in the Suns midfield.
Gold Coast are going to be cautious in bringing O’Meara back from his injury, but he is a future superstar.
Make or break: Trent McKenzie
McKenzie was part of some of the aforementioned off-field issues that the Suns dealt with last year, and his suspension due to breaking alcohol rules put another damper on a disappointing 2015 in which his play took a downward spiral. He managed just 12.0 disposals per game, after averaging 16.3, 19.2, 16.5 and 17.1 in his four seasons prior.
The pressure is mounting on McKenzie, he must find form to remain in the Suns squad, as the outbreak of Henry Schade as the Suns third tall makes McKenzie replaceable.
McKenzie needs a complete turnaround – both on and off the field – in 2016 if he wants to reestablish himself as a key component on the Gold Coast.
AussieBokkie
Guest
If this starting 22 fires on all cylinders and injuries are kept to a minimum for the whole season, there's no reason why they can't make the top 8. It's a much more balanced team for once and there is SO much talent!
Elton
Guest
The Titans are wooden spoon certainties in the NRL so hopefully he Suns can give the gold coast something to cheer about in 2016.
trenerry boy
Roar Rookie
Lots of genuine run in this team, should have a good year
Don Freo
Guest
He's just not that good. He was very loose at Sydney and now he is even slower.
berrlins
Roar Pro
If Malceski can pull his game together ans reach the hieghts that justify his pay packet I think it will go a long way for the Suns making the 8. He could be as important to them as a defensive general as Murphy or Wood is to the dogs, and him playing on song will give the Suns so much.
Nicholas Mirarchi
Roar Guru
Malceski struggled with ongoing knee injuries last season and it did take him a while to adapt to the Sun's structure, he should bounce back this year. If the midfielders can stay on the park they will be top 8 contenders, I don't think Eade will be the problem.
Don Freo
Guest
I can't see Malceski even making the Carlton best 22 if he was there. I'd say they took Rosa because Malceski is done. Rosa will play that role...way better. With Ablett, O'Meara, Swallow, Martin and Prestia, they should make top eight. The problem is, that with Eade in charge, they won't.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
While agree with most of what you have said SportsFan.... Always love your posts! very insightful. I do hold out some hope for poor old whipping boy Grant. At different times of his career he's shown some real potential. He reminds me a lot of Jesse White. Both are very much so far unfilled talents. I hope Mr Grant can find some consistency at the Suns. He did seem to play better football under Rocket. But yeah the Suns are going to struggle in the Big man stakes. Poor old Gaz, Jagear and Co going to have their work cut out for them.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
Agree Dingo - can't really say that I have understood the Suns recruiting strategy, either in the Trade Period or Draft in 2015. They picked up 3 blokes who were not in the best 22 at their previous clubs, Grant was de-listed that's how highly the Dogs thought of him, and then they proceeded to draft a bunch of skinny half-forward flankers. That was on the back of losing a Power Forward in Dixon and another tall in Gorringe who they didn't look to replace, which means a lot of pressure now falls onto Lynch, Wright and Day with Wright only being a second year forward. The Lions for me have done a much better job in 2014-2015 Trade and Draft to set the foundations for a future finals tilt compared with the Suns.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
Too many half forward flankers for my liking. Don't understand the Rosa acquisition. Can't see the Suns finishing higher than 14.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
I think your starting 22 is going to be reasonably close to what they will play in Round 1. Coming out of the backline both Trent McKenzie and Nick Malceski need big 2016 seasons. McKenzie to date just does not seem to have the drive to get the most out of his talent and he coasted along to the point of irrelevance in 2015. Meanwhile Malceski came with a big reputation from the Swans and talked up lifting standards during the 2015 preseason only to have arguably his worst season in a decade. I do not recall seeing Malceski look so off the pace and kicking straight into the opposition as many times as he did in 2015. Surely both these guys will lift in 2016? I wonder whether the Suns can play both Lonergan and Hallahan in the same side consistently during the year? Both are big bodied ball winning mids, which is great to relieve the pressure of Ablett, O’Meara, Prestia and Swallow in the middle, but they both lack any pace and do not impact the scoreboard in any capacity. It may be worthwhile playing Ah Chee or Garlett off the bench as another half-forward/forward pocket for the purpose of impacting the scoreboard due to lack of genuine crumbing small forwards the Suns possess outside of Matera. This will also apply pressure to Jack Martin who has had a very slow start to life in the AFL after a massive build-up prior to the start of the 2014 season. Sam Day is another, like McKenzie, that has failed to live up to his junior playing days and high draft pick selection back in 2010. I would think he would only be in the side to be deployed as the third tall (either forward or back) and Peter Wright will actually be working in tandem with Lynch as the two talls in the forward line. Day does not have the height to be a KPP, whereas if they include Wright in the starting 22 then Lynch can give Nicholls a breather from ruck duties throughout the course of a game. O’Meara is really the only key player that may or may not be fit for Round 1 as the Suns are taking an ultra-conservative approach with his recovery from a ruptured a patella tendon. He is a star of the future and the Suns should be doing everything they can to lock his signature down (along with Prestia) prior to end of the season. Guys like Kolodjashnij, Saad, Hall and Lynch had terrific 2015 season in the face of adversity and enhanced their reputations across the AFL. While the Suns best 22 looks good on paper and should be competitive on a weekly basis we saw last season that injuries to key players leaves this group severely exposed. Couple any serious injuries during 2016 with the abysmal Suns Trade Period acquisitions of both 2014 and 2015 and their Draft acquisitions of 2015 (outside of Ah Chee) and it seems like the Suns new fitness boss is THE most important non-playing employee at the Club.