Gazzagate: How a Gold Coast Suns poster sparked a major AFL scandal

It takes a lot to shake the world of AFL but a Gold Coast Suns-themed poster made jaws drop in Melbourne and sparked a major scandal. FIND OUT HOW

The Gold Coast Suns enjoyed their strongest start to a season ever this month as they chase an elusive finals berth.

An epic 136-49 defeat of the West Coast Eagles, by a margin of 87 points, was the biggest the Suns have achieved in their history.

Time will tell if the team’s form continues but it’s a dramatic difference from some of its earliest years.

Joel Jeffrey of the Suns handpasses the ball during the 2025 AFL Round 01 match between the West Coast Eagles and the Gold Coast Suns at Optus Stadium. (Photo by Janelle St Pierre/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The team didn’t enter the national competition until 2011 but spent the previous year putting its line-up together and that included naming a captain.

Gary Ablett famously was the inaugural leader, being poached from Geelong in September 2010 following the finals.

But it was six months earlier when the Gold Coast got a taste of what it would be like to have one of Aussie rules’ greatest players here on the Glitter Strip.

Gary Ablett controversial poster

It was 15 years ago in March 2010 the Gold Coast Bulletin threw a cat among the pigeons, creating a mock-up poster showing Ablett in Suns colours and printing it for the public bearing the tagline “dare to dream”.

The tongue-in-cheek image proved to be a bombshell for the AFL world.

Its publication set off a furious reaction from Geelong management and was later tagged by football fans as “Gazzagate”.

Geelong chief executive Brian Cook said the post was a “clear contravention of the rules” and “clearly an ad for Gold Coast Football Club”.

‘‘The advertisement uses the intellectual property of Gary Ablett without his permission,’’ the statement said.

Brian Cook was less than impressed. Picture: Alison Wynd

‘‘We look forward to the AFL, the AFLPA (AFL Players Association) and IMG, Gary’s management company, taking the appropriate action following this clear contravention of the rules.’’

But the AFL hit back and said there was no case to answer.

‘‘To my understanding it is not an ad (for the Gold Coast Football Club),’’ AFL spokesman Patrick Keane told the Bulletin.

Club boss Travis Auld also insisted he was not involved.

‘‘I was surprised as anyone when I opened the Gold Coast Bulletin this morning and I nearly choked on my Weetbix to see Gary Ablett in Gold Coast gear,’’ he said.

‘‘I am sure that would have excited a lot of Gold Coasters to see that.”

Travis Auld (AAP Image/ Morgan Sette)

On September 29, 2010, the Brownlow medallist ended months of speculation by confirming he would leave the Cats and join the Gold Coast Suns on a five-year deal worth $9 million.

In his debut press conference, Ablett confirmed he wanted the captain’s gig.

“It would be definitely (something I’m interested in),’’ he said.

‘‘But at the same time I wouldn’t want it to be something that is offered to me … I want to get up there and prove myself. If I am to be appointed captain, I want for everyone from the players to the coaches to want me to be captain.

‘‘It is a good challenge for me to get up there and be a role model and if I am the right person for the job then I would love to take on that role.’’

Ablett went on to be named captain and played strongly despite the Suns failing to feature in the finals.

He won a second Brownlow Medal in 2013, the club’s first, and had a career-best season before being knocked out of the competition with a season-ending shoulder injury in Round 16.

Ablett’s 2015 and 2016 seasons were also cut short by injury and he stepped down as captain at the end of that year.

He left the Suns at the end of 2017 to return to Geelong where he played his final season in 2020, which ended with a grand final loss in Brisbane.