VFL preview: Southport Sharks, Gold Coast Suns pre-season analysis, season preview + predictions
The VFL season is finally here. Read our season preview for the Southport Sharks and Gold Coast Suns, including squad changes, new tactics and coaches predictions.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The AFL season is finally underway, and with that means it’s time for the VFL.
In their first full season of the second-tier competition, Queensland have stomped their domination on the league with the Southport Sharks, Gold Coast Suns and Brisbane Lions all making finals despite tough competition across the country.
The Gold Coast Bulletin sports team have broken down each of the Coast sides as the Sharks attempt to make back-to-back grand finals, and the Suns push for their own grand final berth.
Take a look at our full preview.
Southport Sharks
2022 finish: Second
Head coach: Steve Daniel
SIGNINGS
In: Matt McGuinness (North Melbourne VFL), Jackson Edwards (Crows – son of former AFL star Tyson Edwards), Zac Molloy (Collingwood VFL), Jed Foggo (Suns Academy), Matt Conroy (Gold Coast Suns VFL), Ryan Banks-Smith (Aspley), Charlton Offermans (Brisbane Lions VFL), Lachie Rhook (Centrals Trinity Beach), Jack Sexton (Richmond VFL), Matt Shannon (Carlton VFL), Jake McQueen (Wangaratta Rovers)
Out: Ryan Davis (retired), Seb Tape (retired from VFL, joined Centrals Trinity Beach in Cairns), Rhys Clark (retired), Rhys King (moved to Canada), Kwaby Boakye (Tooleybuc Manangatang), Aiden Fyfe (Port Melbourne), Michael Selsby (Werribee), Callum Searle (Norwood), Billy Gowers (retired from VFL, joined Old Xaverians), Josh Hall (Centrals Trinity Beach), Jacob Townsend (QAFL, Broadbeach)
PREVIEW
The league’s only stand-alone club residing outside of Victoria made a statement in 2022.
In 2023, the biggest change for the Sharks will be how the Victorian clubs look at them.
Last year they were the league’s dark horse. A stand-alone club brought over from the disbanded NEAFL, standing in the shadow of AFL-aligned clubs, and without the big salaries that come with that. Now, with a grand final appearance under their belt, they will have respect — and a target on their back.
The biggest win for the Sharks so far has been retaining 15 of their 2022 grand final players, including VFL Coaches MVP Jacob Dawson, ruckman Brayden Crossley, and Team of the Year member Boyd Woodcock, Zac Foot and Max Pescud, who all received AFL interest in the off-season.
On the field will a mixed bag for the Sharks in 2023 as they look to replace decades of experience in retirees Ryan Davis, Seb Tape, Billy Gowers and Rhys Clark, along with grand final player Kwaby Boakye who moved across to Tooleybuc Manangatang in the Central Murray Football League.
But Daniel has already put confidence in new recruits Matt McGuinness, Jackson Edwards, Zach Molloy, Jed Foggo and Matt Conroy to fill the gaps.
22-year-old personal trainer McGuinness, recruited from North Melbourne in the VFL, has had a standout pre-season according to Daniel, along with half back Corey Joyce whose fitness is looking better than ever.
Off the field, 2022 marked a tragic year for the Sharks, losing two club presidents in just a month. First in long-time president Alan ‘Doc’ Mackenzie and then his replacement in beloved football figure Matthew Schneider.
Their on-field performance proved the club is capable of putting out quality football in adversity and now Daniel wants to be recognised as the league’s best stand-alone side.
“Our goal as a football club will never change,” Daniel said.
“We want to be recognised as the best stand-alone side and we want to make finals. In a 21 team competition with 15 AFL-aligned teams, it’s hard to do, but we’ve been able to do it last year.
“Once you play finals, the old saying is the whole season starts again. The ultimate goal is of course to win the premiership, that’s why we’re playing. But getting through our first six games is our first goal.”
Daniel said making the grand final was an “unbelievable effort” as one of just eight stand-alone teams in the VFL.
“We really haven’t spoken about the grand final because we’re quite a different team,” he said.
“We’re really confident. I think a lot of teams will pay us a lot more respect, being Victorian myself you know you can become a little bit self-centred, they didn’t pay us too much respect being a stand-alone team in our first year in the VFL.
“To make the grand final last year was an amazing achievement.
“I get the same question from everyone, ‘Are you going to be as good as last year?’, but until you start playing games you have no idea.”
PRESEASON SNAPSHOT
Head coach Daniel breaks down who has impressed him across the pre-season.
Fastest and fittest: Corey Joyce
Most dedicated: Jackson Edwards and Zac Foot
Best leadership (outside of captains): Zac Foot
Most reliable: Jacob Dawson, and Jackson Edwards
Most exciting up-and-coming player: Max Pescud
Greatest ball winner: Jacob Dawson
Best ball user: Jesse Joyce.
X-factor: Max Pescud
Assuming your team makes the GF, who do you play off against?: Brisbane or Gold Coast
Who wins the B & F: Jacob Dawson
SHARKS’ SCHEDULE
R1: Sandringham Zebras, 1:05pm, Fankhauser Reserve, QLD
R2: North Melbourne, 10:05am, Arden Street Oval, VIC
R3: Werribee Tigers, 12:05pm, Fankhauser Reserve, QLD
R4: Brisbane Lions, 12:05pm, Brighton Homes Arena, QLD
R5: Footscray Bulldogs, 12:05pm, ETU Stadium, VIC
R6: Northern Bullants, 12:05pm, Fankhauser Reserve, VIC
Gold Coast Suns
2022 result: Third (joint with Brisbane Lions)
Head coach: Josh Drummond
SIGNINGS
In: Jake Stein (GWS), Jed Anderson (North Melbourne), Brodie McLaughlin (Frankston), Lloyd Johnston (Northern Territory), Tom Berry (Brisbane Lions), Connor Blakely (Fremantle)
Out: Matt Conroy (Southport), Jed Foggo (Southport), Patrick Murtagh (NFL), Brinn Little (SANFL – Central District), Jez Mclennan (SANFL – Central District), Rhys Nicholls (SANFL – West Adelaide), Ned Stevens (SANFL – West Adelaide)
PREVIEW
Much like their AFL counterpart, the Gold Coast Suns VFL team are close to the mark, but yet to achieve true greatness.
In their 12 year history across both the VFL and NEAFL, the Suns have never won a state league competition, making them the only current Queensland side to have never earned that honour.
But they aren’t far from it, according to new VFL coach and former Brisbane Lions player Josh Drummond, who stepped into the role after serving as the club’s senior defensive coach since 2019.
While Drummond’s goal, unsurprisingly, is to break the Suns’ state league premiership drought, he also wants to see his players solidify their place in the club’s AFL side.
“We want to go out there and go deep into the VFL finals series,” Drummond said.
“We want to win premierships at VFL level and be the best team we can be, and we feel like if we do that, that pressure and level from the VFL will only help out our AFL program.
“From our point of view, another focus for us is to have guys come up and be ready to play AFL level football, we want our players at VFL to have the goal of playing AFL football as soon as possible.
“We don’t just want them to come in and play one game at AFL level and tick that box, we want them to have a long lasting impact, and once they get the chance at AFL they can keep their spot in the long term.”
One move to get the Suns to a premiership — at both levels — may come in the form of 2022 VFL Team of the Year ruckman Ned Moyle, who Drummond said will play forward at some point this season in a move to increase his chances of AFL selection.
Moyle, who led the VFL for hit-outs in 2022 with an average of 39.1 per match, currently sits behind club captain Jarrod Witts in the ruck, but at 206cm tall will make a formidable target for the Suns.
“We’ll be giving him some experience and time up forward to continue working on his forward craft, so hopefully sometime in the future Moyley is capable enough up forward that we can play Wittsy and himself in the same team.”
Drummond also spoke highly of new recruits and AFL experienced players Jake Stein (GWS), Jed Anderson (North Melbourne) and Connor Blakely (Fremantle), along with exciting Northern Territory product Lloyd Johnston.
Drummond said Academy draftee Johnston, who hails from Borroloola near Darwin, had already shown strong signs since joining the Suns in November.
“He’s come in and really fit in well with the program, he’s a smart young kid who knows his footy. He’s come along leaps and bounds in his first pre-season at the club.”
After reaching the preliminary finals in 2022, Drummond said operations wouldn’t look very different at all.
“We had some big shifts 12 months ago, so this year is probably more around evolving a few parts of our game, nothing too drastic,” Drummond said.
“ (2022) was really positive, we just managed to sneak into the finals. We won six games by under a goal, so we had some really close exciting games which we managed to be on the right end of.
“Really pleasingly we were able to get some momentum and some experienced players once the AFL finished up their program, which really propelled us to a few good weeks into finals.
“It was really positive for our younger guys who hadn’t been involved in a finals series before, to be exposed to an environment that’s a bit more pressure and high intensity, to be able to play the way they did through that time was a positive experience for the whole club.”
PRESEASON SNAPSHOT
Head coach Drummond breaks down who has impressed him across the pre-season.
Fastest and fittest: Oscar Faulkhead and Sandy Brock
Most dedicated: Oscar Faulkhead, Sandy Brock, and James Tsitas
Most leadership (outside of captains): Ned Moyle
Most reliable: Jed Anderson, Connor Blakley, James Tsitas
Most exciting up-and-coming player: Lloyd Johnson
Greatest ball winner: Connor Blakely
Best ball user: Rory Atkins
X-factor: Lloyd Johnston
Assuming your team makes the GF, who do you play off against?: Casey Demons
Who wins the B & F: Unsure yet
SUNS’ SCHEDULE
R1: Williamstown, 12:05pm, Austworld Centre Oval, QLD
R2: Geelong Cats, 10:25am, Heritage Bank Stadium, QLD
R3: Sandringham Zebras, 11:05am, RSEA Park, VIC
R4: BYE
R5: North Melbourne, 12:55pm, Heritage Bank Stadium, QLD
R6: Richmond, 11:05am, Swinburne Centre, VIC
‘Everyone gets cut up’: Cats star’s message to critics after Rowell link
Gold Coast bull Matt Rowell has been linked to Geelong, and Gryan Miers has a message for those criticising the Cats’ approach.
‘Lit something in me’: The spark that inspired Shaw’s coaching return
Incoming Gold Coast Suns AFLW coach Rhyce Shaw has revealed what inspired his senior coaching comeback four years after parting ways with North Melbourne.