Gold Coast’s number one focus over the next 12 months must be keeping Peter Wright.
Wright is the single most important re-signing the club can make at this point in time, even more so than co-captains Tom Lynch and Steven May.
The 2018 season has been a strange one for Wright, who, despite being in the best 22, had to play five NEAFL games on his way back to the senior team after recovering from injury.
The 21-year-old is an elite talent who truly has the potential to be one of the league’s top key forwards with absolutely no fanfare surrounding his game.
Wright has a solid fitness base and offers a lot up the ground for the Suns, which has resulted in him playing different roles depending on the opposition.
Against Sydney he was simply fantastic. Wright finished with 20 disposals and nine marks, including 13 contested possessions, as well as laying an elite four tackles.
In the loss to Carlton in Round 18 he had nine disposals, 11 contested possessions, eight hit-outs and two goals, proving to be the club’s only dangerous prospect in attack.
Going back to 2017, his only full season at senior level, Wright kicked at least a goal in all but three matches and worked well as part of a duo and on his lonesome.
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
The 203-centimetre forward was taken with the eighth pick of the 2014 draft, yet his 48 games and overall development have flown under the radar simply due to the club he plays for .
Touk Miller is the next captain of the Suns, which will keep him at the club, and his leadership will drive younger midfielders to stay with Gold Coast.
All Wright needs is good service in order for him to turn himself into a consistent high-performing key forward. The club’s needs and Wright’s needs go hand in hand.
For the Suns to elevate themselves from the ‘poor’ bracket for the first time in AFL history the club needs to hold onto its younger players, which has been an obvious issue in the past.
Stuart Dew was the right appointment for this job and he obviously needs time to settle in.
The aforementioned Miller from the outside appears to be a strong-willed character who can help Dew instigate cultural change within the four walls of the club.
Perhaps Lynch leaving is the best result for the Suns as it frees up room to re-sign Wright and allows for the club to move forward with its changing of the guard without media negativity surrounding them.
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Wright can be the face of the Gold Coast Suns and Miller the leader.
As a guide for what Wright could produce on the field, it is entirely relevant to take a look at the 2015 version of Kurt Tippett, who averaged 12 disposals, four marks, three tackles, 17 hit-outs and 44 goals in his 22 games.
Wright can average more disposals and marks than what Tippett in this particular season, but ultimately Tippett was elite in 2015 and played a similar role to what Gold Coast’s young star can perform.
For all the love surrounding the competition’s young key forwards like Charlie Curnow, Eric Hipwood and Josh Schache, none of them can produce what Wright should be able to in the next year.
The upside here is tremendous for the Suns, and it would be simply irresponsible to let this one slip through their fingers.
Lynch is gone and May could well be on the way out over the next 12 months, but if the Suns appoint Touk Miller as their captain and re-sign the emerging forward, Gold Coast will be certainly heading in the Wright direction.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
The acquisition from the Pies of Rodney Eade was a terrible mistake. Eade seems to have lost touch with the modern game. He moved to suburban club Balywn in the EFL this year and has taken them from 2nd to 6th and unlikely to play finals. Their reserves side is bottom. Not a great sign from someone fresh out of the AFL system.
Guttsy
Guest
Sorry, but that is incorrect. The Suns were doing very well under Guy McKenna and were on the road to success. The disaster started when he was sacked. People aren't stupid. They can clearly see this. What I see is a coach that was too successful. History shows that an AFL club can't get the favourable treatment from the AFL to guarantee its success unless it becomes a basket case first. Thats what I see at the Suns. I'm also a realist and prepared to accept the "so here we are arguement". What do do we need to do to make football in QLD (and NSW) a success.
Guttsy
Guest
Maybe the way a Tasmanian club can be financed is by selling the TV rights to Tasmanian home games in Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide? Will football fans accept this? Maybe, if it is done right, if there is no over reach to effect free to air coverage of other AFL games in Melbourne/Geelong, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane/Gold Coast, the games can be easily bought individually and cheaply (say about five dollars for viewing in the home) and it can be clearly defined in the supporters mind as the price of a Tasmanian team in the AFL. Maybe this can be done for some GWS games in Canberra and Gold Coast and Lions games in Regional areas in QLD. I dislike pay tv as much as anyone but I am also realistic that it exists and there needs to be some compromise to let it make a profit
Guttsy
Guest
15 home games a year (i.e. games in Melbourne) for each of the Melbourne clubs seems about right and would go a long way to evening up the fixture. These home games should be given to help develop the games in regional areas and particularly non-traditional afl regional areas in QLD and NSW. As I keep saying, the biggest inequality with the fixture is the unequal travel burden between clubs. And the challenge facing both the Lions and Gold Coast is that they face the double whammy of having very close to the worst travel burden in the AFL (only just behind that of West Coast and Fremantle) and they are in a nontraditional AFL state. Some people say that the AFL won't be prepared to give up the gate takings from the Melbourne based games but many of these games where a Melbourne based team play Brisbane, Gold Coast or GWS only attract between 20,000 to 30,000 people. Perhaps this can be made up for by pay tv rights to the games in regional areas being sold to there home markets. A careful selling of a proposal like this to the general footballing public may get their support if they see that this sacrifice is for the greater good of the game in Australia.
Guttsy
Guest
You are wrong cat. Geelong has returned to the winners circle over the last decade largely because they were able to make effective use (in the late 90s and early 2000s) of their control over one of the best football talent hinterlands (i.e rural areas south and east of Geelong) of any club in the country. Thats what Brisbane and the Gold Coast need to be allowed to develop in Queensland, that is a football talent producing Hinterlan for each club and they need to be given exclusive use of this hinterland before they are thrown open to the draft system. And Melbourne based clubs should be giving up (or perhaps the AFL buying them off the Melbourne based clubs is a better way of putting it) a couple of their 17 home games a year to assist them.
Dem Panopoulos
Expert
I tend to agree with this and think we’re entering the final year or two of the initial “disaster phase” at the Suns, where the start-up recruiting was poor and it created a culture that wasn’t professional and left players wanting out. The list turnover itself has seen most players from that initial year or two leave, which is a positive, regardless of the quality. The scars are there for those players, who probably can’t see light at the end of the tunnel. It’s why players like Wright need to be re-signed, as the club can now finally move on and look towards building a successful future. It could take another 3-4 years before they start entering a 50/50 W/L phase but, when they do, I think it’ll bring fans along.
Cat
Roar Guru
First GC is starting from a base of zero. They have never had any success. Geelong and Brisbane both have long histories that have included success. The longer a team goes without success the more their attendance drops and Brisbane unfortunately has gone a long time without even seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Geelong have had years where they averaged just over 15k/game. If Sydney misses finals this year and looks shaky for next year their attendance will drop – not off a cliff though. You don't need bums in seats to be a success on the field but you most assuredly need success on the field to put a lot of bums in seats. The only way to create the 'rusted on' fans is to have a period of success that ties people to a club.
Mark Q
Guest
Regarding Lynch and trades, Gold Coast will have essentially 3 options if Lynch decides to take up Free Agency: 1) Match any offer and have Lynch will stay 2) State they will match any offer, but seek to trade (eg: Adelaide/Geelong re Dangerfiled) 3) Simply let Lynch go (and probably get compensation pick after their 1st pick in draft, most likely pick 3) Given that probable suitors for Lynch are Hawthorn, Richmond and Collingwood, one also need to consider their positions on the ladder, and what they could give in terms of trade. Option 3 means pick 3. What could any of these teams give that could match that, especially given that GC already has 2 picks in first round, 2 picks in second round, and 2 early picks in 3rd round of draft? I cannot see GC wanting more draft picks (especially if AFL give GC a priority pick as well). Rather, I see GC wanting quality picks and quality players. I also think there could be another option in all this (most, most unlikely). GC says they will match Lynch offer. Lynch refuses to stay, but no other club gives a trade suitable for Lynch, and Lynch goes into draft. This, of course, is a ridiculous option (as I understand GC would lose out by having no compensation pick). Gold Coast also has a couple of other challenges. First, whilst I like Metricon Stadium itself, it is not the easiest transport place (although not too bad), car parking means walking a distance, and eateries are not close by. The move from Footy Park to Adelaide Oval helped bring in crowds. Despite Docklands needing some work, there is great eating and drinking within a very close walk. MCG speaks for itself. Gabba has some nice pubs near by (like the German Club too). I don't know about Spotless, and Optus in WA looks like an excellent venue (including walkway to city, albeit some may say it could have been closer to city). The other challenge Gold Coast has to overcome is building a sense of being a 'destination club'. One has to look at Gold Coast's initial draft strategy, and questions about facilities and culture in early years. I believe club is heading in the right direction, but they are working from a long way back.
Tricky
Guest
No wining is not everything, a big part yes but it needs more than that. You can't compare Geelong in dark times to GC now. Why? Because Geelong is in footy state territory. Look at Bris when they won 3 in a row - filled the Gabba every week. Not so now yet a team in footy territory always have the fans turn up through thick and thin - sure it varies but it's not tumbleweed like GC now. This is a blunt reality, until you have the majority of the natives having a vested in not only the team but the game teams north of the Murray are going to struggle for fan base. Unless they're contending. Bet your bottom dollar if Syd ever fall out of finals contention the tv ratings will drop off and the stands will be emptied.
Cat
Roar Guru
The only thing that makes a club a 'destination club' is winning. The AFL started GC off wrong. GC didn't help itself with some terrible administrative and coaching choices. Its up to GC to get its act together, if they do players will want to play there. Fifteen years ago Geelong was in a similar predicament, no player wanted to be traded to 'sleepy hollow'. Winning changed everything.
Tricky
Guest
Which ever way you boil it down and dissect it, seems GC will be a player development club for the foreseeable future. At no point has it ever been a destination club in it's short history What will it take to change this? A public interest in the game in the same territory and a genuine one at that not some passing interest like the storm fan base for example - you'd argue that fan base are mainly Vics who have a side interest in league. Not a rusted on passionate nothing else matters supporter like footy fans in footy states. GC and by extension Bris need a home grown rusted on fan base to lay claim to relevance. Ones that won't jump off the bandwagon when things aren't going swimmingly. That's not having a go, it's just a blunt reality. When will this change come? When will we finally see invested interest in Australian football teams from the local population in foreign territory? How long is a piece of string? There is little or no evidence that the majority of the sporting supporting public in those foreign territories are jumping on board like those in footy states. The Peter Wright, Tom Lynch and Steve May stories are only bit parts of a bigger problem as stated above.
Wise Old Elf
Guest
Firstly, they aren't going anywhere. SE QLD is a fast growing region. Do you think we are just going to sit down here and hand the joint over to soccer and rugby? WE STAY! Tasmania and GC are not linked. Tassie needs to get its own house in order. It might be ready in 20 years from now. But don't link the two regions. Lynch, trade him and get the best you can get. Two first round picks and a few others. He is injury prone anyhow. Do what Carlton did with Gibbs. Get a great deal and get some A-graders in for him. With Gibbs, I reckon there is an argument now to say the best thing he ever did was leave and give the club the chance to get some REAL A-Graders on the list. I don't think Gibbs ever really did consistently do this. And you have to chuckle with him, Betts and Jacobs that their club had it's chance at glory and it has passed.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Putting aside the age differences I wonder which neutral fans would prefer Mason Cox or Two Metre Peter?
User
Roar Rookie
The departure of Lynch will be the making of GCS, Lynch is a good footballer but is far from this great fwd comparable to HK or Buddy, add a lukocious or even a Mitchell McGovern and they're well on their way