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Staring down their seventh season in the league, loose ends seem to be unravelling and the questions are starting to pile up for the Gold Coast Suns.
Their 2016 season was typecast by accusations of ‘lazy’ footy, and the romance of being another team trying to make its way in a rugby league heartland started to lose any effectiveness in softening stories about the team’s significant losses.
When do we start to hold the Gold Coast Suns accountable? When does the talent pool (you know, that one we endlessly whinged about) start delivering? Does the AFL step in? And, really, just how much is Gaz going to get for his house?
They’ve lost Jaeger O’Meara. That ship has sailed. It’s time to move on and get your house in order, Gold Coast.
It’s been argued that the salary prices payed to players to get them to take up residence in Queensland is generating a whole lot of ‘spoiled brat’ footballers.
Maybe that’s true, maybe it isn’t. I don’t necessarily think that’s the most pressing issue right now.
What the Gold Coast needs to do (read: needed to do about three years ago,) is take some of the pressure off the win/loss margins in regards to player retainment. They simply can’t jump into the eight in their current form.
However, what is in their immediate control, is the brand value of the club. If Gold Coast can secure some effective administrators, they can remarket themselves as a destination club for developing players.
I know, I know, everyone wants to win a premiership. But what everyone also wants, is not to hate coming to the environment the work in everyday, especially, if in turn that negatively affects the one thing they’ve loved doing all their life; playing footy.
Develop them, give them games, manage their workload effectively. Understand the unique circumstances of being a professional AFL footballer in Queensland and work with the players accordingly. Grounding them inside the demountable walls of the red and yellow club doesn’t seem to be working.
The culture of a club so far away from footy-crazy Victoria is undeniably important. Opportunity must be felt to be available. Just because they can’t reasonably expect to be holding up a shiny cup come September, does not mean the club should stop generating and creating reasons to be there.
Injuries are another ongoing concern for the club. You can debate the balance between bad luck and bad management endlessly when it comes to a list like GC. However, the reality is, Gold Coast can’t run any sort of aggressive recruitment strategy if it can’t keep current players on the damn field.
Then there is Tones.
Tony Cochrane, club Chairman, undoubtedly brings character, passion and profile to his club. My concern is that he isn’t bringing much else.
For all the talk about the blockbuster trade period the club was headed for, they produced a typically Gold Coast result – one which was bloody underwhelming. We were told Isaac Smith, Luke Breust and Hamish Hartlett were in serious consideration to make the move to live the white sand lifestyle, but in reality, superstar Ablett tried his best to leave.
One wonders why we constantly hear so much from Cochrane, and little else from other senior staff there. With Barry Hall joining coaching staff this season, Gold Coast now have not only have a heap more football sense, but someone with some serious media savvy. Get Bazza talking.
Furthermore, the club is sitting on a marketing gold mine in Tom Lynch. Make use of it.
Then, there is one last thing small thing to rectify Gold Coast. Moving forward, try not to tell your fans to ‘show some respect’. That’s not going to see Metricon flooded with fresh (or old) faces anytime soon.
Go on, head down, bum up – and get the Suns to rise on the Gold Coast.
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