Gold Coast season preview 2021: Time for Suns to make a statement and win eight games

Rowell, Rankine, King, Lukosius, Anderson. They’re just some of the gun youngsters at Gold Coast and with solid experience around them now, is 2021 the year they play finals?

Matt Rowell is one of the most exciting youngsters in the game. Picture: Glenn Hampson

The apprenticeship is over for Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew. He’s been in the role for three years and the Suns have been able to fill the coffers with stacks of young talent. Dew has to tap into this emerging star power to start returning results — as our club deep dive reveals

Chris Honnery’s six people who will define the club in 2021.

MATT ROWELL

It was a tough year for midfield sensation Rowell in 2020 – having burst onto the AFL scene to only dislocate his shoulder in just the fifth game of the year against Geelong. There are high hopes across the club for the 19-year-old in the upcoming season though to help spark some success on the coast. “He’s tracking really well,” Suns general manager of footy Jon Haines said. “He’s come back in the new year in really good condition. He played a quarter during our intrasquad match simulation last week and he ticked off all the contact milestones during that game. He got himself into some heavy contact situations and came out of it with flying colours.”

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Matt Rowell is one of the most exciting youngsters in the game. Picture: Glenn Hampson

IZAK RANKINE

Another of the Suns rising stars is Izak Rankine. The 20-year-old is an excitement machine, kicking 12 goals from 12 games last year but is set to have more involvement this season. The club is preparing to play Rankine in the midfield to use his speed and creativity. “Izak has got his capacity to a level where we think he can spend time in the midfield,” Haines said. “We don’t view him as just a small forward. We know he can play that role but we also feel he can evolve into someone who can play midfield at different times and give us a different look in that part of the ground.”

NOAH ANDERSON

In just his first year of AFL, Noah Anderson proved to be one of the club’s young shining lights. The 20-year-old has emerged as a key member of the squad’s midfield and has been described as the Suns pre-season standout player. Having played primarily on the wing last year, he is set for a shift into the midfield in 2021. “He had a fantastic first year last year,” Haines said. “We expect as part of Noah’s progression, at heart he’s an inside mid and we expect him to be playing that role far more consistently this year. He’s got an enormous amount of improvement in front of him but he’s going to make a significant contribution to the team.”

RORY ATKINS

The former Crow linked up with the Suns at the end of the 2020 season and by all reports, has fitted in nicely at the club. Atkins’ speed will prove a huge asset for the Gold Coast on the wing. “First and foremost, he and (fellow new recruit) Oleg Markov love living on the coast and integrated well into the community,” Haines said. “Rory has come from a really good football club so his level of experience has been really beneficial. Rory didn’t play last week in the intrasquad match but he’s not too far away.”

Noah Anderson impressed in his first season. Picture: Getty

Rory Atkins has joined the Suns from the Crows. Picture: Sarah Reed

OLEG MARKOV

Much like Atkins, Markov has proved to be a handy acquisition at the Suns. Having left powerhouse club Richmond for the Gold Coast during the 2020 trade period, Markov is set to make his mark in the AFL in 2021. The 24-year-old is set play off the halfback line and become a crucial member of the Suns squad. “Oleg has come from a really good club as well and he’s fitted in well with the team,” Haines said. “He played in our match simulation last week and looked good. We expect both he and Rory will add to our needs in terms of a performance perspective.”

BEN KING

One half of the King twins, Ben has flourished during his time at the Suns and enters the 2021 season bigger and better than ever. The 20-year-old spent the off-season bulking up as he looks to become a more dominant force in the Suns forward line. “Ben’s an emerging key position player,” Haines said. “He’s spent the off-season trying to put some size on. He’s been able to do that really well without it impacting on his running capacity. He’s been working well with the midfield group to build that cohesion.”

Ben King is a very exciting talent. Picture: Michael Klein

BEST 22 FOR ROUND 1

B: Jack Bowes, Sam Collins, Jack Lukosius

HB: Oleg Markov, Charlie Ballard, Connor Budarick

C: Brandon Ellis, Hugh Greenwood, Rory Atkins

HF: Ben Ainsworth, Sam Day, David Swallow

F: Izak Rankine, Ben King, Alex Sexton

R: Jarrod Witts, Matt Rowell, Lachie Weller

Int: Wil Powell, Noah Anderson, Touk Miller, Sam Flanders

INS & OUTS

Ins: Rory Atkins (Adelaide Crows), Oleg Markov (Richmond Tigers), Jacob Townsend (Essendon Bombers)

Outs: Peter Wright (Essendon Bombers), Jacob Dawson, Corey Ellis, Sam Fletcher, Pearce Hanley, Jacob Heron, Jesse Joyce, Josh Schoenfeld (delisted), George Horlin-Smith, Anthony Miles (retired).

FIRST SIX MATCHES

Prediction: Three wins, three losses

Round 1 v West Coast (Optus) – L

Round 2 v North Melbourne (Metricon) – W

Round 3 v Adelaide Crows (AO) – W

Round 4 v Carlton (Metricon) – L

Round 5 v Western Bulldogs (Marvel) – L

Round 6 v Sydney Swans (Metricon) – W

Killer first round. Having to fly to Perth to tackle the Eagles, if the WA Premier keeps the border open long enough. Hard to see the Suns winning that clash, but it starts to get easier with matches against last year’s cellar dwellers North and Adelaide and a true test of the year ahead would be rolling Carlton at home in round 4.

The Suns can get off to a good start in 2021. Picture: Getty

CHAMPION DATA

The good: The Suns definitely improved their midfield in 2020. They jumped up to fourth for clearance differential after ranking 14th in 2019 and were 10th for ground ball differential, up from 17th in 2019.

The bad: Gold Coast’s kicking efficiency has been their downfall. In six of their 10 years, they have ranked in the bottom-two sides, including a 60 per cent kicking efficiency in 2020, which was ranked 18th.

EXPECTED FINISH

Prediction: 8th-12th

The Suns boast one of the youngest and least experienced AFL sides but they’ve proved they have the talent to cause a few headaches in the competition. Their exciting young stars such as Matt Rowell and Izak Rankine will only be better for another pre-season leading into the 2021 season. Could be this year’s bolter.

ROBBO’S LIKES AND DISLIKES

LIKES

The obvious answer here is the kids, though I feel like I’ve been writing that in the pre-season for too many years. This year shapes to be different. Let’s hope so. Still need more talent and grunt, but it’s coming along nicely, albeit slowly. Eyes will be on Matt Rowell, Ben King, Noah Anderson, Izak Rankine, Sam Flanders, Connor Budarick, Will Brodie, Wil Powell and Jack Lukosius, and when you list them like that, you do realise half the team is so, so young. But like them we do. Their veterans are solid footballers without being superstars, and they will help guide the kids.

DISLIKES

From 2015, the Suns have won four, six, six, four, three and five games. It’s a grim win‑loss record. The past couple of years are similar: Start with punch, end up in the punch. Had two wins and a draw from their last 13 games after winning three of their first four. It doesn’t so much fall apart after the first month, but by the end, it is a mess. What is it? Personnel? Mentality? Stuart Dew’s game plan? As always, it’s a bit of everything. Getting tired of writing they are young, exciting and plucky, because youth, excitement and pluckiness does not win them enough games. Time to plant the flag, Stuey, with the aim to be eight wins.

VERDICT

Won’t make the eight

Suns coach Stuart Dew talks to his players. Picture: Getty

BURNING QUESTIONS

Herald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson joins Fox Footy experts Nick Riewoldt, David King, Leigh Montagna and Jordan Lewis to give their Suns predictions for 2021.

ROBBO: Was it a disappointing 2020? And if so, what is the expectation in 2021?

JOEY: I was disappointed with 2020 because I had expectations on Gold Coast. I’m a bit bullish on them and I think they can spike pretty quickly. I like the way they go about it and the way they’re coached. They’re playing a style that can hold up, which is team defence. They still need some time to mature and to continue to evolve, but I think that can come relatively quickly. I think finals may be out of reach this year, but I like the way they’re tracking and they’re not far away.

ROBBO: Five and a half wins in 2020. Can they win nine games this year, Jordan?

JORDAN: I don’t think they can. For me, they’re a great pressure side but they need to find good ball users. And that’s drafting kids who can kick the ball. Touk Miller’s become a good ball user but other than him I still think that’s a massive gap in their game. It’s a pretty good spine for a team that finished 14th with five wins and you can see improvement. Whether they find another four wins and scrape around eighth, I’m still unsure.

ROOEY: You don’t think there will be organic growth from their young players? I think they just get better and I thought their recruiting last year was really smart by getting Ellis and Greenwood in to put some bigger bodies around some of their young players. I think they grow as a group and your point about ball use is well made, but I think with the defensive work and that foundation they’ve laid, I think they need to evolve their game plan.

ROBBO: Verdict, Joey?

JOEY: They’ll miss the eight but they’re the ones I think are the sleepers. Ninth to 13th.

Originally published as Gold Coast season preview 2021: Time for Suns to make a statement and win eight games