The Gold Coast Suns’ 2015 was as shambolic a season as any team has had in recent memory. Injuries to key players, off-field discipline issues and general lack of professionalism stalled this club. Yet behind the scenes, Rodney Eade was putting the pieces in place to help the Suns start reaching their potential.
The players with issues regarding lack of professionalism – Harley Bennell and Charlie Dixon – were moved on with minimum fuss, a new leadership group was introduced, and players now have a greater onus to pull each other up when standards are not being met.
A new high-performance unit was also introduced, with all players being put on individualised programs.
As a result, the Suns have started 2016 very well. They were expected to beat Essendon and did so, even if they took the foot off the pedal in the second half (which Eade no doubt addressed during the week).
They then travelled to Perth and knocked off Freo in a seriously impressive display of both skill and maturity.
It is early days for the Suns, and their level of consistency will be challenged in their upcoming fixtures with Carlton and Brisbane – two games they will start as heavy favourites.
Being consistent in the opening fortnight has made it easier for Eade to select the best 22, which has a flow-on effect. All players know they need to perform, with essentially a fully fit list – only Mitch Hallahan, David Swallow and Jaeger O’Meara are unavailable in the next two months.
They are due to move into the Carrara Sports Precinct next door to Metricon Stadium in 2017, which is part of a $130 million facility being constructed for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. This should continue to help the club improve its professional standards, and hopefully improve their ability to attract and retain players.
Meanwhile, after a relatively positive pre-season, the Brisbane Lions already have issues, which will be compounded by a trip to Geelong this Sunday.
Dayne Beams is out injured, Tom Rockliff and Daniel Rich picked up injuries on Saturday, and Mitch Robinson hurt himself in Round 1.
They are four very important players in the middle of the ground from a hardness and experience point of view. The issue is compounded because they have so much youth and inexperience at the key position posts at both ends of the ground.
The forward line is being built around 19-year-old Josh Schache, and the backline is focussed on Harris Andrews, a 20-year-old. While they are showing some great signs early in their careers, you cannot expect consistency on a weekly basis yet.
The midfield, which is seen as having good depth, is where they should be getting consistent output. However the number of mistakes made on game day is the only consistent aspect for the Lions – there cannot be a club in the AFL that shoots themselves in the foot as consistently with skill errors.
It makes you wonder what level of attention is being placed on skills training.
Having no real dedicated elite training and administration facility (with no concrete plans for one at this stage) must also have an effect on the club and its ability to act as a top-flight football team.
By 2018 the Brisbane Lions will be the only AFL club without an elite training and administration facility, which may see them have issues with recruitment and player retention.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Lot of Suns supporters in Logan - although I expect ease of access to Suns games via the rail line is one of the big contributing factors there. A lot of people just want to watch football, and the Suns have an attractive package for families down there at Metricon. Right now the Lions just have to get an elite facility up and running, somewhere, anywhere, really. The rest of the competition left them behind long ago on that front.
Seano
Guest
Paul D you would think Morton Bay is a better fit than Logan, Logan is really Suns territory but Morton Bay is the biggest growth area in the country and its lions territory and will be the home to aflq sooner or later.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
Pat - When we are talking National, as in Australia, Perth and Adelaide being the 4th and 5th largest cities in the country would certainly form part of the discussion. New Zealand is a foreign country and has nothing to do with a national discussion about Australia.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Springfield will be woop woop for decades to come.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Yes it is, another reason why they're keen on the idea.
harry houdini
Roar Rookie
Woop woop today is not woop woop tomorrow usually when we talk about outer suburbs,
harry houdini
Roar Rookie
I am betting he doesn't.
harry houdini
Roar Rookie
Is Logan close to where the Lions have a club in Springwood
Paul D
Roar Guru
No it wasn't. They would have been tens of kilometres out of the city - Springfield really is out woop woop. There were huge flaws with that scheme. Not least the conflict of interest mentioned above.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Old news. The Lions have a plan now, they're just trying to line up a venue. Latest offer is that Logan City Council have offered them $12million and the 10ha of space that was originally going to be allocated to Cronulla Park greyhound track (now scrapped in the wake of live baiting scandal demolishing all public support for that "sport") Brisbane Roar have already made the move to Logan so there's certainly precedent for major sporting teams to set up shop out there.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
Correct BigAl. They signed Leppa to a further year for 2017 but I find it hard to see him be signed on after that if there is not improvement in the way the Lions possess the football. Skills must be the absolute focus otherwise you can have all the fitness and game strategy in the world but if you cannot move the footy and hit targets it is meaningless.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
O’Meara does feel like he has been missing for a while. Easy to forget he played 44 straight games through 2013-2014 and then on the eve of 2015 wrecked his knee which is why he is still missing. They are going the ultra-cautious route because he is still very young and if they get his right he still has a decaed in the game (hopefully for the Suns!). My understanding is that he will spend a few weeks in the NEAFL regaining form and match fitness before being considered for the Senior side after the mid-season break. Similar story for Swallow. Facilities and a professional environment current day is super important in attracting and retaining talent at football clubs. This cannot be underestimated. If the Suns have everything off-field in place for the players to feel as though they can succeed personally and professionally with the Club that is as much as they can do. Some players will still want to “go-home” at some stage during their career and you can never prevent this 100%.
Slane
Guest
You know what the word 'national' means don't you?
Slane
Guest
Which is why it's a good thing that the AFL has two teams in QLD.
pat malone
Guest
whats the number one AFL team in NZ? when does Adelaide and Perth mean something is national?
Agent11
Guest
QLD is still a bigger market than both those states combined
BigAl
Guest
The main HUGE difference between Blues and Lions is the Blues had the wherewithall to go out and seek a coach of some pedigree, while The Lions are sticking with Leppa, basically because they havn't got a clue on what to do next!
Chancho
Roar Rookie
That's a good call on O'Mera and Swallow coming back... just on that, is it just me or does it feel like O'Meara has been out for like a million years? Perhaps I was a bit harsh with the Eade comment, and I guess I was coming from a view that McKenna was actually progressing but they replaced him for someone at the same level, if not a bit under. But yeah, all told, the sacking fiasco was pretty amateurish. I think the home ground/facilities thing will be massive for them, we see already the factor of 'returning home' for some players is really strong, so you'd imagine if the environment is positive etc it might go some way to redressing that?
InvisiblePJs
Roar Rookie
But I'm a Carlton fan - I demand results NOW!! (tongue planted firmly in cheek...)
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
The Blues and Lions are in very similar scenarios at the moment with rebuilds in full swing, granted the Blues only committed in the draft and trade period of 2015 so this is effectively year 1 for them. The improvement will come from the coaching the players get and the jury is well and truly out on Leppa at the Lions. The Blues have Bolton so at least getting some IQ from the super successful Hawthorn team of this generation. It will be a good 2-3 years before the Lions and Blues can consider finals footy. In the interim they need to see improvement in skills, ball movement and implementation of elite standards at training/recovery. We can only wait and see.