'Force to be reckoned with': Suns unveil new game plan that will embarrass their critics

The much-maligned Gold Coast Suns have given a strong indication that they are going to be a force to be reckoned with in 2022, easily accounting for a strong Port Adelaide Power side in the first practice match hitout for the two clubs of the year.

As a contest, the match was over in the early parts of the third quarter, with the Suns punctuating their dominance with their second coast-to-coast goal from a Lachie Weller kick-in of the match. Scott Lycett and Sam Powell-Pepper, two of Port’s better performers, both watched injured from the bench.

Port had 50 more possessions than the Suns, yet it was the home side’s defence that kept repelling attack after attack. The Power did themselves no favours by taking low-percentage options around goal and having some wayward pre-season kicking.

The Suns’ starting midfield of Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson and captain Touk Miller were more than a match for Powell-Pepper, reigning Brownlow medallist Ollie Wines and former captain Travis Boak, which was all the more significant considering the Suns were fielding a greenhorn ruck novice yet to debut in the top level against a premiership ruckman.

(Photo by Jono Searle/AFL Photos/via Getty Images )

Port’s back line was at full strength but outmatched by a reinvigorated Izak Rankine and got found out by the Suns finding regular targets inside 50. All Australian Aliir Aliir was locked in a stalemate with the Suns’ new rookie Levi Casboult that essentially took both players out of the contest while leaving the Power without a spare interceptor.

But as much as it may seem pointless dissecting a practice match that featured 57 players, the way the Suns lined up gave some tantalising clues as to how they will execute their game plan this season.

Port were never able to establish much of a discernable plan as they showed some rust and an inability to get any momentum until the B-teams had well and truly been deployed.

When he went short, he often bobbed up to take the one-two pass and send the ball over halfway, and when he went long his vision and accuracy found teammates time after time.

From the get-go, aided by Port’s repeated misses on goal, Weller took the kick-ins, lasering kicks to hit targets on the chest, often running from the goal square to pinch yardage.

After the earlier announcement that he was stepping down as captain, it was interesting to see how David Swallow was deployed.

On second viewing, the veteran did not attend one single centre bounce clearance, instead lining up in the back line where he provided a hard body in the marking contest and in the clinches as the Suns repelled attack after attack.

His back marking allowed Weller to get up the field as the side surged forward, while he moved up to the goal side edge of boundary stoppages.

Sam Collins and Charlie Ballard continued their back-line partnership, joined at points by Caleb Graham when Port had three talls, easily taking the points against the Power’s rotating tall forward.

Wil Powell was effectively the sweeper, intercepting at will and sending the side back into attack, breaking lines and tackles.

Sean Lemmens and Oleg Markov did not see much game time but played the same roles they established themselves in last season, swarming in the congested situations close to goal and using their leg speed to rebound out of defensive 50.

(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

With the A-team attending the bulk of centre stoppages, it fell to Alex Davies and Brayden Fiorini to share the back-up role, which they each did admirably.

The former showed skills that Hugh Greenwood could never dream of with a pair of goals and speed to get from contest to contest, while the latter has come back fitter than ever and hungry for the ball.

On the wings, the three players vying for two starting spots shared responsibilities, with Rory Atkins playing above the standard he turned up at last season, Brandon Ellis his usual self and Jeremy Sharp kicking a brace.

All three put in auditions that really couldn’t be split, with the two 2017 grand final opponents setting the standard, while the young apprentice edged them on talent yet still needs to tighten up on defence.

In the opening seven seconds of the game, a neutral tap was won by Anderson, who got into space because of a Rowell shepherd and passed to the racing Miller.

From then, the inside 50 was only going to one man as Rankine flew in front of a charging Aliir to take a brilliant mark at centre half forward. He was never going to miss the goal.

Casboult’s debut was nothing to write home about, but his neutralising of Port’s best defender gave Mabior Chol the chance to boot three goals and both took turns chopping out in the totally new ruck rotation.

Josh Corbett enjoyed having the big boys around with a couple of strong mark and goals.

Rankine was the standout forward, scoring the first goal and unselfishly giving away two more.

Nick Holman and Alex Sexton were good in their respective returns from off-season surgeries, while Ben Ainsworth and Darcy Macpherson maintained pressure as usual and hunted the ball.

Ned Moyle’s ruck work was remarkable given he had only played half a season of NAB League and VFL in the past two years, getting pushed around a bit early but fighting back against both Lycett and his fifth-year apprentice Sam Hayes to come out matching with both.

The kid has similar traits to Max Gawn and drew praise from his captain Jarrod Witts during the commentary.

Aside from taking a huge risk in the ruck, Dew’s only other youth selection was Davies, who turns 20 in a few weeks (Moyle turned 20 last week).

That makes this Suns team virtually teenager free, although Joel Jeffrey did make a final-quarter cameo (he turns 20 in a fortnight).

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

The team’s average age including the two late subs was 24.4 years, which is by far and away the oldest Suns side in the Dew era and maybe the oldest ever.

That is until next week when they likely get older again and more experienced as the squad comes down to 23 and the average age goes up a couple of points.

There are no shortcuts with selection policy this year, which is consistent with last year, but a dramatic break from the previous decade.

Davies has had his development fast-tracked with the departure of Greenwood and injury to fellow Cairns boy Jack Bowes, while Moyle’s apprenticeship is now coupled to the comeback progress of Witts.

All others, including pick five from last year’s draft and pick seven from the year before, will be forced to earn their places in the team. Even academy graduates who have cut their teeth in second grade will continue to do so until their number comes up.

There are some exciting developments to the game plan this season, with speed of ball movement immediately noticeable, aided by swift rebound from defensive 50 and handpassing on the run to outnumber and break lines.

Weller started such a chain from a running kick in where he backed up to receive the hand pass and continued the chain up the sideline until finally the ball hit the boot again and the Suns were able to score the easiest of goals.

The fitness and touch of the players seemed to be superior to Port, which could be attributed to having more time off after the season as well as a longer pre-season for several years in a row.

But the wet-weather skills were particularly impressive as this has forever been an unfathomable bane – how exactly do you not develop wet weather ball skills when you play in a swamp?

(Photo by Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

The entire game plan is obviously still to be revealed, but the early hints are irresistible: playing on from the mark, pressuring the ball carrier, rebounding quickly out of defence, two-way running to flood defensive 50 on turnover, running in gangs to keep the ball moving forward, taking on the forward defence from kick-ins, and Dew’s favourite, showing care for each other.

The most pleasing thing about this game was seeing how much the players enjoyed themselves. They wanted to win the game that much more than their opponents that they played a team-first brand of footy, with very few selfish acts compared to Port players.

Monday’s experts in print, on radio and now back on TV are all dusting off the same old lines about the Suns, which to a close observer is really quite embarrassing for them all.

This group is older, yet with only the single player over 30, who could be dropped next week. They are the most experienced team I can recall in a Suns side, with a maturity that seems a luxury compared to the rebuilding years.

The elephant in the room might well be Ben King’s knee, but it isn’t another scenario like Gary Ablett’s shoulder.

There are goals in this forward line, the midfield is stacked with guns, the defence is staunch, but most tellingly, the players have a collective belief that they can do it and it is beautiful to watch.