There are 198 AFL players rated elite or above average, two of them play for Gold Coast Suns

GOLD Coast’s list has been labelled the worst in the AFL’s history and Champion Data has seemingly backed that up, with no Sun rated elite and just two above average after a trade period exodus.

Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew after losing the QClash to Brisbane.

GOLD Coast’s list contains just two of the AFL’s 198 elite or above average players as the club concedes it is starting its list build again.

The prospects of the Suns going through the season winless has already been raised as Matthew Lloyd labels Gold Coast’s list the worst on paper in the history of the AFL.

Fitzroy was the last team to go winless (1964) as well as the last team to win just a single game for the year (1996), with 36 teams recording only one win in any given season.

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But the make-up of the Suns list, as 15 players moved on over the off-season, means that prospect is very real.

According to Champion Data, the Suns don’t have an elite player on their list.

They have just two above average players in Nick Holman and Lachie Weller, who they acquired after handing over pick two to Fremantle last year.

Nick Holman marks against Melbourne. Picture: Michael Klein

Lachie Weller fires off a handball against Carlton.

In the off-season the Suns have lost co-captains Tom Lynch and Steven May, ball-winners Jarryd Lyons and Aaron Hall, top-10 picks Jack Scrimshaw and Kade Kolodjashnij and top-15 pick Jesse Lonergan.

They hope to start their list build with a draft arsenal that includes picks No.2, 3, 6, 24 and 29, plus two first-round picks in the 2019 national draft.

The Suns have the fewest elite or above average players, with Melbourne’s 16 players in those two categories rated No.1 in the AFL with the competition average 11 per team.

The Suns ranked 18th last season for points scored, scores per inside 50m, points from turnovers, inside 50m differential, disposal differential, contested possession differential and uncontested possession differential.

Despite their aspirations of reducing the inside-50s scored against them next year, it is hard to see how those statistical imbalances won’t worsen.

They have secured a trio of mature-aged state league players as well as Anthony Miles, George Horlin-Smith and Corey Ellis, and have interest in delisted Cat Jordan Murdoch.

Former Richmond midfielder Anthony Miles. Picture: Michael Klein

Former Geelong midfielder George Horlin-Smith. Picture: Michael Klein

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan believes with strong executives and coaches in place including Stuart Dew, Mark Evans, Craig Cameron and Jon Haines they can follow a similar path to improving Brisbane.

But former Brisbane CEO Andrew Ireland, now the departing Swans CEO, said last week he was surprised at the lack of support from AFL House.

“I’ve been asked before in terms of clubs you should try to help, and to me, Gold Coast are in a position where they need additional help,” Ireland said.

“If they got extra salary cap space, extra picks in the draft, they could do with that at the moment.

“I was a little bit (surprised by the lack of AFL help for Gold Coast).

Lloyd said during the trade period the Suns simply didn’t have enough talent to compete after they conceded when May wanted to leave they had to start their list build again.

“I’ve never seen anything like this. Gerard Healy says this year they were the worst team since Fitzroy, I think next year they get even worse. No Tom Lynch, most likely no Steven May.

“This will be the worst list we’ve ever seen put on an AFL field and they (Port Adelaide) are just openly saying we will take players within two years.”

Originally published as There are 198 AFL players rated elite or above average, two of them play for Gold Coast Suns