Jonathan Brown labels Suns set-up disgrace but says Gold Coast need to forget past and move forward

JONATHAN Brown believes part of Gold Coast’s initial set-up was a disgrace but says the mistakes of the past need to be put to bed if the Suns are to have any chance of succeeding.

AFL great Jonathan Brown says the Suns need to look towards the future. Picture: Chris Eastman

JONATHAN Brown believes part of Gold Coast’s initial set-up was a disgrace but says the mistakes of the past need to be put to bed if the Suns are to have any chance of succeeding.

It’s been eight fruitless years since Gold Coast entered the AFL.

Captain Tom Lynch wants to join the growing list of talent to have left the Suns who will continue to be a development team for bigger clubs if they don’t cultivate enough elite players and convince them Gold Coast are worth staying for.

Brown said Gold Coast brought about their own early failings with their list build while the inability to operate out of anything better than tin sheds until last year hindered them further.

“The problem they have got is they have wasted the list concessions they had at the start,” Brown said.

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“They went with the wrong list build strategy that has proven to have failed.

“They should have been around a similar mark to what GWS achievements the last couple of years.

“The list build was wrong and they didn’t pay enough big money to the younger players and paid it to the older guys.

“Clearly they were going to struggle in their first few years.

“Unfortunately those concessions are gone now but they are still going to need some help from the AFL with priority picks.”

But Brown said all was not lost and was adamant with facilities and resources sorted off field the club had to bury the demons of the past and move forward.

“The Suns aren’t going anywhere,” Brown said.

Ben Ainsworth is among a talented young Suns list. Picture: AAP Image, Dave Hunt.

“The AFL has committed to the 18 teams and committed to the Gold Coast Suns. They have infrastructure around the footy club now and they would be happy with the people in key position.

“They have got to look forward, they can’t worry about going back.

“The club is in a good position from a support structures, resources sand training facility view.

“They have all they need. It’s a disgrace it wasn’t -up like that before the club was started but at the end of the day it is what it is.

“We can’t keep looking back. You have to start looking forward. If you were starting Gold Coast right now you would think the players have got good opportunity now.

“It is up there in league standards and they have got good people behind the scenes. Now they have to work hard on the list.”

Gold Coast have made six changes to their senior side for Saturday’s clash with Richmond at Metricon Stadium.

Jesse Joyce, Steven May, David Swallow, Ben Ainsworth, Brayden Crossley and Jarryd Lyons will replace injured trio Jacob Heron, Peter Wright, Jesse Lonergan while Jacob Dawson, Sean Lemmens and Max Spencer have been dropped.

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