Ranking Gold Coast Suns top 10 performers of the 2019 AFL season so far
Gold Coast sit second last on the ladder at 3-10 going into their Round 14 bye this weekend. With just over half of the season complete, the Bulletin delves into Gold Coast’s list and ranks the top 10 performers for the Suns. Who comes in at number one?
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Gold Coast sit second last on the ladder at 3-10 going into their Round 14 bye this weekend. With just over half of the season complete, the Bulletin delves into Gold Coast’s list and ranks the top 10 performers for the Suns.
1. David Swallow: Captaincy suits the Suns midfield bull who has grown an extra foot since taking on the role alongside Jarrod Witts this season. Swallow is averaging a career-high 24 disposals, including 12 contested possessions, five clearances and a goal per game this season. The knee injuries that looked to threaten his career in 2015 and 2016 look a lifetime ago as he stands tall for the young side.
2. Jarrod Witts: Another who has thrived on added responsibility. Swallow’s co-captain has got to be considered among the club’s best recruits in their nine-year history. A beacon of consistency, Witts has rarely been beaten and has provided a tough contest against the best ruckman in the AFL. The Suns young midfield are blessed to have him.
3. Jarrod Harbrow: You can usually pencil the halfback in to be among the team’s best every week. Harbrow is as intelligent as he is crafty and is often the one who gets the Suns out of trouble when they are under the pump in their defensive 50m.
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The 30-year-old’s awareness for where to be and experience has been critical for Gold Coast and the Suns look their most dangerous when he is using his speed to rebound into attack.
4. Brayden Fiorini: The Suns quiet accumulator. The midfielder averages an incredible 28 disposals as he puts together another season that has coaching staff excited by his future. Injuries have meant Fiorini is yet to have the chance to put together a big season but his class has always been recognised by those within the club.
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One more game will equal his career-high of 13 appearances in a season and there is no denying his impact this year. Fiorini has been willing to put his head over the ball and do the defensive work but it’s his clean hands and kicking game that pose the biggest threat to rivals.
5. Jack Bowes: After starting his career at halfback, Bowes is flourishing by moving into his preferred position in the midfield. Bowes was touted as one of the best prospects to come out of Gold Coast’s academy upon his arrival and he is now developing into the tall, big-bodied midfielder that teams need in the modern game.
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Bowes has matched-up on the likes of Fremantle Brownlow Medallist Nat Fyfe this season and despite a quad injury, suffered in Round 11 against GWS, set to keep him out for another seven weeks, he has been among the Suns best in the first half of the year.
6. Alex Sexton: He was the leading goalkicker last year with 28 majors and has nearly equalled that after booting 24 from the opening 13 games. Sexton led the Coleman Medal in the early stages of the season and has been Gold Coast’s most damaging forward for coach Stuart Dew while providing relief for his teammates while pinch-hitting in the midfield. The 25-year-old is one of the club’s best runners and at 185cm, the medium-sized forward can be hard to match-up on for opposition teams.
7. Sam Collins: The star of Gold Coast’s mature-age recruits. When Rory Thompson went down with a season-ending knee injury, the Suns looked set to struggle down back given they had also lost Steven May to Melbourne. But Collins, a former Fremantle player, has been a brickwall for Gold Coast. Professional, incredibly strong and able to win most one-on-one contests, Collins must be one of the best recruits across the AFL. A hip injury meant his run stopped at Round 9 but like Bowes, he has done more than enough to be considered one of the biggest influences on the team.
8. Darcy Macpherson: One of the most popular players in the Suns group because of his work ethic and willingness to do the hard stuff. Macpherson has made the third-highest number of tackles (84) across the AFL so far this season and it underpins why he has thrived under coach Stuart Dew. Macpherson’s forward defensive pressure provides the contested style of football the Suns are playing and he has started to move into the midfield with some success. A rookie-turned senior-listed player who cannot be faulted.
9. Jack Martin: Arguably the most talented player on Gold Coast’s list and at 24 he still has upside. Martin has been deployed through the midfield and spent time at forward this year and despite his size, continues to show no hesitations in throwing his body into a contest against larger frames. Martin provides a calm head in Gold Coast’s frantic game-style and is often the cleanest connection between the forwards and midfielders.
10. Wil Powell: Labelled a ‘greyhound’ by some of his teammates, Powell is one of the most exciting young talents on Gold Coast’s list. The 19-year-old is incredibly brave and his thin frame hasn’t stopped him from taking the game on. His running is elite, his ball use strong and he can find his way to goal without trouble.
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