Ultimate player ratings: Glenn McFarlane and Jon Ralph rate every Gold Coast player

Ben King can add more to his game than just kicking goals, and Damien Hardwick is the perfect man to help him do it. GLENN MCFARLANE and JON RALPH rate every Sun here.

Gold Coast Suns player ratings

Can Dimma turn Ben King into Jack Riewoldt 2.0?

If Damien Hardwick wants to turn his most important forward into a more rounded, team-orientated player to help the Suns push for a maiden finals appearance, he almost has the perfect template.

Jack Riewoldt wasn’t always the hard-tackling, team-first footballer who helped the Tigers win three flags across four seasons.

He faced early criticism from some for being too self-absorbed and goal-focused ... until Dimma helped to transform him into a far more selfless player.

Criteria: Prediction of their 2024 performance based on their 2023 season, expected improvement and role in their side.

Ben King has room to improve to become one of the best key forwards in the game. Picture: Getty Images

He became a multi-dimensional forward who tackled, led from the front and crashed packs. It wasn’t as much about him as it used to be; it was about the team.

Ben King can be the same if he is prepared to work at it.

The 23-year-old has exceptional talent - that almost goes without saying - and his 40 goals last season showed why he can be a weapon for the Suns.

But Hardwick will require King to boost his team-defence mindset this year and beyond in a manner that Riewoldt was able to successfully achieve.

King has only laid 43 tackles in 73 games, including 17 last year, and that is a clear room for improvement.

Hardwick will be hammering home the need to evolve for the sake of the team, and if King can do that - and we think he can - it could help catapult the Suns into the final eight.

Originally published as Ultimate player ratings: Glenn McFarlane and Jon Ralph rate every Gold Coast player