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We need to talk about Gold Coast

1st April, 2019
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Roar Rookie
1st April, 2019
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It’s about time we got behind the Gold Coast Suns.

Not that we should expect great things from them in the very near future – but rather we should want them to succeed, at least off the field.

When the Suns were founded in 2009, the AFL public demanded a Tasmanian team instead – and they still do, which is fair.

Tasmanians love their footy and team down there would be well deserved. But the AFL is more ambitious than that: a Tasmanian team is easy (and they will get their chance), but taking market share from the rugby, and making Australian rules football consistently the number one sport around the country is a much more difficult task.

To do this, they need more teams based in rugby zones – and thus GWS and GC were born.

From an on-field perspective, GWS got a lot of things right early.

They started with an experienced coach, recruited young kids and marketed a long-haul approach to building a team towards success. And it worked.

Gold Coast, on the other hand, tried to recruit for instant success, in the form of Gary Ablett and more experienced players to guide their kids, but also an inexperienced coach they gave up on far too early.

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As a result, GWS has had top four finishes and GC has been stuck down the bottom. Because of this contrast, GWS has had a much easier time being accepted by the wider footballing community, and GC has struggled.

Peter Wright

Peter Wright of the Suns takes a mark. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Yet, as much as there are voices that scream “just call it a failure and move them to Tassie,” I, apparently alone, outside the few (but growing) membership base of the GC hear myself whispering to no one in particular “can’t we support the little guy?”

Maybe because as a Freo fan I am able to see several similarities between the early years of Fremantle and GC’s beginning, that I am eager for them to find the same light at the end of the tunnel – at least the same dim light that does not have flags, but does have plenty of members and long-term growth.

To do this, GC need two things: respect and to keep their players.

The Gold Coast’s main problem is they can’t keep a team together.

If you form a 22 of the players that have walked out of the club, you get a very good side – at least on paper.

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But for whatever reason, clubs find it easier to poach their players and the GC have a harder time attracting talent.

That will be because they are a small club far removed from Victoria, but also it’s partly because even the close AFL community won’t give them a chance.

I was quite insulted on behalf of the club when Port openly said they will try to poach back Jack Lukosius and Izak Rankine mere minutes after they were drafted; never has a club said that before.

Izak Rankine

Izak Rankine. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Respect is a bit harder to earn. They need to do that by winning games, but they won’t win games unless they can be given the chance to actually build a team.

It must be very difficult when every time a player looks like they will be a star, the AFL and AFL media try to will them to a larger club.

They need a player who’s going to stand up for the club, a bit like Dave Swallow, but a real superstar. They need a genuine leader on and off the field that people will go to watch and players will want to play with.

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They may have found one in Alex Sexton or Lukosius, but if we give up on them, we give up one the chance to even out the competition.

Let’s call this the Gold Coast 2.0. A new team with a new start. Give them a chance to really grow. Start supporting instead of mocking. Help make the club healthy, and then we’ll likely see a new, more unique club down in Tassie.

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