Gold Coast v Brisbane: Suns captain Touk Miller and the ‘squirrel grip’ of Dayne Zorko, one year on
Touk Miller was ‘heated for a good 2-3 weeks’ following his suspension for his infamous ‘squirrel grip’ on Dayne Zorko but insists its all in the past as the Suns prepare to face the Lions again in QClash26.
Gold Coast
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Gold Coast co-captain Touk Miller says he has “moved past” the squirrel grip incident that overshadowed the Suns’ stunning QClash upset of Brisbane last August as the two fierce rivals ready to lock horns again on Sunday in their biggest blockbuster meeting yet.
Speaking exclusively to News Corp ahead of QClash26 this weekend, Miller said he was “heated for a good 2-3 weeks” over the incident, which saw him slapped with a one-match ban for conduct unbecoming after the AFL Integrity Unit found he made contact with Dayne Zorko’s groin region while laying a tackle on the Lions’ star utility.
“I think that’s in the past,” Miller declared.
“It’s one of those things where you probably get really frustrated and caught up in the moment (but) then a few weeks pass.
“Things happened. I publicly apologised. I was probably heated for a good 2-3 weeks but after an off-season, pre-season and start to a new season you move past it.”
Miller initially escaped citation after the MRO ruled footage of the play was inconclusive and no complaint had been made by Zorko or the Lions to the AFL.
However, Zorko’s public comments days later that his “groin region is quite bruised” caused the AFL Integrity Unit to step in and ultimately slap Miller with a one-match ban.
Zorko later thanked the AFL for “actually looking deeper into it and hearing my side of the story” but the fallout did not sit well with the Suns and in particular football boss Wayne Campbell, who declared Miller’s “integrity and character has been tarnished during this process”.
Touk Miller has receiving a one-match ban for making contact with the groin region of Dayne Zorko in a manner that caused pain and discomfort and ultimately constituted conduct unbecoming in breach of AFL Rule 2.3(a).
— AFL (@AFL) August 3, 2023
Full details: https://t.co/h7m37in09fpic.twitter.com/hmIIuAgwms
Even before the squirrel grip saga Miller and Zorko had become the face of the QClash rivalry for half a decade.
In round 5 2018, Miller was awarded the second of his record four Marcus Ashcroft Medals after successfully tagging Zorko in a five-point Suns victory. After the match Zorko refused to shake Miller’s hand.
Later that season, following a four-point Lions victory, the pair this time did shake hands – only to qualify the gesture with a fiery exchange that required teammates to separate them.
In each subsequent meeting between the two Queensland clubs, Miller and Zorko’s dislike for each other fanned the flames of the heated rivalry.
It came to a head late last season with the most contentious coming together of the star ball-winners yet.
Now with Brisbane’s season on the brink of collapse at 2-5, Miller says the “door is wide open” for the Suns to march up the M1 and make a statement at the Gabba – a venue they have not won at since the early 2018 encounter.
“We haven’t won up there for quite some time. I’d love nothing better than to go up there and get the win against Brisbane,” he said.
“I think the rivalry is fantastic. I’m someone who has always been a big believer in the rivalry. Some go harder than others as to how they feel towards Brisbane, but I feel we’re in a really good spot.
“It’s going to be on.
“There’s going to be heat in the game. It is what it is when you have a rivalry. I’m sure it won’t take much to set the fireworks off.”
While Miller forecasts on-field fireworks this weekend the build-up has been nothing but platitudes. His teammates have played every prod and poke at potential hostility with a straight bat.
Meanwhile in Brisbane, the Lions have barely been asked about Sunday’s clash, such is the hyperfixation on their 2-5 start.
The Suns are privately confident but predominantly wary of the wounded Lions, who have had a magnifying glass placed over them after their poor start to the season was punctuated by a 54-point thumping at the hands of GWS.
Chris Fagan has successfully harnessed the us against the world mentality many times before. His use of the “loss aversion” motivational lever to help the Lions get over their preliminary final hump last season is a prime example.
Gold Coast does not want to give its rivals any ammunition that could come back to bite it on Sunday.
In years past the Suns have been vocal in their dislike of the Lions, because for them it was a free hit. Brisbane had won nine consecutive QClash encounters before the Suns snapped the streak last August.
But now Damien Hardwick’s side travels up the M1 with genuine belief it can get the job done at the Gabba.
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