AFL draft revisited: Could Gold Coast’s 2019 draft be among the best hauls this century?
Matt Rowell and best mate Noah Anderson were always Gold Coast bound in 2019. But a draft night trade by Carlton also handed the Suns another Victorian young gun.
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If Gold Coast can break its away game drought against Carlton on Saturday, Suns fans might finally start to dream of September after more than a decade in the doldrums.
While there is plenty of water still to run under the bridge, Damien Hardwick’s side has built itself a stable launching pad into the post-season sitting 6-4 ahead of the Blues bash, before a return home to host Essendon next Sunday.
Never has Gold Coast sat inside the top eight at this stage of the season.
The master coach has struck gold with a list many felt long underperformed its pedigree and is finally starting to prove its class.
The expansion club boasts a stunning 18 former first-round selections on its list. It has enjoyed a glut of high-end draft selections over its 14 years but we could soon look back on its 2019 haul as the cream of the crop.
And Carlton helped make it happen.
Following a wooden spoon-winning 3-19 season in 2019, the AFL stepped in to hand Gold Coast an assistance package unlike any seen since the inception of the Suns and Giants.
Gold Coast was gifted a handful of high-end priority picks spread across the 2019-2021 National Drafts and exclusive access to pre-sign academy players – including those from Darwin, subject to a review at the end of each season.
Already in possession of the No. 1 overall selection at the 2019 draft, the Suns were handed 2 and 20 as part of the assistance package, to go with pick 15 which they received from Brisbane in a trade the previous year.
They had circled Matt Rowell as a key target with No. 1 from a long way out and were able to pair him with best mate Noah Anderson at 2.
In the blink of an eye Gold Coast had the two top talents in a stacked draft class on its books – but there was still more to come.
Carlton list manager Stephen Silvagni became the draft night agitator when he forced Fremantle and GWS to match bids on academy products Liam Henry and Tom Green at 9, expending the bulk of their draft capital to do so.
Left holding what was now the 11th pick, the Blues then traded down for Gold Coast’s 17 and 22 selections (formerly 15 and 20).
With their newly acquired pick 11 the Suns selected another midfielder from Victoria, Sam Flanders.
| Gold Coast’s 2019 Draft Haul | ||
| Pick | Player | Games |
| No. 1 | Matt Rowell | 72 |
| No. 2 | Noah Anderson | 91 |
| No. 11 | Sam Flanders | 54 |
| No. 27 | Jeremy Sharp | 23* |
| No. 60 | Jy Farrar | 34 |
| Rookie No. 16 | Connor Budarick | 31 |
| Rookie No. 29 | Matt Conroy | 0 |
| Rookie No. 37 | Malcolm Rosas Jr | 42 |
| *Games play for Gold Coast only | ||
On Saturday, Rowell, Anderson and Flanders will have their hands in just about everything the Suns do.
Hardwick is blessed with talent on every line but without his three chief ball-winners his side would not be in the position to contend for September like it is now.
In 2023 Anderson won his maiden Club Champion and his 2024 form looks even more imposing. Not only are his disposal and clearance numbers up, but he booted seven goals in 23 games last year and already has six in 10 so far this season.
Rowell is arguably the best contested player in the competition at the moment; his combination of clearance work and tackle pressure a weapon which Hardwick has never previously had at his disposal.
Alongside co-captain Touk Miller, Gold Coast boasts the best midfield mix of any in club history.
And then there is Flanders, the man Carlton handed to the Suns on draft night in 2019, who might be the most improved of them all.
With Lachie Weller not due back from an ACL until the end of the season, the one major hole in Hardwick’s system to start the year was a second rebounding defender. He redeployed Flanders to halfback against the Giants earlier this season and the experiment has been a resounding success.
The 22-year-old is the No. 2 rated general defender in the AFL according to Champion Data. His ball accumulation and distribution has revolutionised the Suns’ defensive 50 exits.
He will be particularly important on Saturday, given the continued absence of Wil Powell through suspension.
The Suns primed themselves for a road victory over Brisbane earlier this month and were thoroughly trounced by the reigning grand finalists. Now they have another opportunity to go into enemy territory and leave with four points.
The Blues are on the slide having lost four of their past six matches and dealing with a host of injury concerns. In-form ruckman Marc Pittonet has been ruled out due to a finger injury, at the same time the Suns welcome back a well-rested Jarrod Witts.
Gold Coast sat Witts against the Cats with one eye to unleashing him against the Blues, in a game expected to be heavily influenced by the midfield battle.
The stage has been set for Rowell and Anderson to go head-to-head with Patrick Cripps and Sam Walsh. Win that battle and the Suns likely win the war. They would then return home to Carrara at 7-4 to host the Bombers in a sudden Sunday afternoon blockbuster.
On their current trajectory Rowell, Anderson and Flanders will be staples in Hardwick’s side for the length of his six-year contract.
In a few years from now, we could look back on the Suns’ 2019 draft as not just the club’s best, but among the top hauls so far this century.
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