Gold Coast Suns captain Touk Miller will play his 150th game at Marrara against North Melbourne
Gold Coast captain Touk Miller will play his 150th match in Darwin as North Melbourne believes wet weather down south might provide an edge. MATCH PREVIEW
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A SPECIAL milestone is in store for Gold Coast Suns captain Touk Miller, with his side looking a genuine shot at finals footy should they win in his 150th AFL game.
For Miller, the deed will be done against North Melbourn in the Suns’ second game TIO Stadium in a row.
The Suns have already found success at the Top End ground, smashing Hawthorn last week by 67 points, and with another seven days spent acclimatising to the heat, the scene is set for another win.
“Milestone games are always pretty special but even more special when you win so I’m looking forward to it,” Miller said, with his parents and fiance in Darwin to watch him play.
“The fact we have the opportunity to come up here and make a second home ground in TIO is fantastic.
“I would love to do it all again next year and look forward to having that in the calendar.
“I think anyone knows you spend a week in any place you adapt.
“The Gold Coast is warm and we’ve had the opportunity to be here and gives us a little bit of advantage.”
The Marrara crowd will also be cheering on their own Territory products, Joel Jeffrey and Malcolm Rosas Jr, who showed against Hawthorn they have the skills for the top level, producing four goals between them.
“Just watching them in action ... getting to see those boys in full flight is a real special thing. I’m looking forward to seeing them go again,” Miller said.
The club has also been making genuine connections to the city, with Miller part of a group which visited the Tiwi Islands.
“That was really special. We got to experience the culture there and the people were so lovely. “They really welcomed us and we learned a bit of their history,” Miller said.
“Everyone did something a little bit different. Fingers crossed in the future we now have that connection, we have players from up here that really draw the crowd.”
Meanwhile, wet weather during the week down south could provide North Melbourne with some handy preparation for greasy football at TIO Stadium on Saturday night, captain Jack Ziebell has told the NT News.
The 17th place Kangaroos, who have dropped their past nine games, take on an emerging Gold Coast Suns that are starting to look like finals contenders.
The Suns will have the edge with local conditions, having beaten Hawthorn by 67 points last Saturday at Marrara as NT products Joel Jeffrey and Malcolm Rosas Jr contributed four goals in total.
However, Ziebell, who played his 250th match last week in a 53-point loss to St Kilda, said the Roos were hunting for little advantages of their own.
“We were a little bit lucky with conditions in Melbourne this week, we had a lot of rain on Wednesday, that produced quite a slippery main training session,” Ziebell said.
“The way the ball skids through on a wet day might be a bit similar to Saturday afternoon.”
While he said there wasn’t much North could do to prepare for the Territory’s signature heat and humidity, the club would be bolstered by the return of defender Ben McKay
However, forward Cameron Zuurhar will miss and is unlikely to be back until round 14.
Ziebell admitted this season had been challenging with his senior coach David Noble under pressure to produce some wins and three key recruiters leaving the club on the eve of the mid-season draft.
However, he said there were individual reasons for their departures.
“It’s not uncommon for that to occur throughout a season,” he said.
“Unfortunately when you’ve only won one game, some things make the news which probably shouldn’t.
“There’s been a few slow news weeks down south. As a player you don’t take much of it in.
“It’s been a challenge (this year), there’s no doubt about that.
“We’ve been working our absolute butts off (to improve).”
He also said Noble had built strong relationships with players and staff: “We love playing for ‘Nobes’ ... even if the wins haven’t been there.”
He also did not buy into criticism from North Melbourne premiership player David King, declaring Ziebell would not get a game at another club.
“They don’t really understand what’s happening because they’re not there,” he said of external critics.
“The external stuff doesn’t faze me too much.”
Suns smash Hawks by 67 points
IT was a dream homecoming for Territory Suns Malcolm Rosas Jr and Joel Jeffrey with both scoring goals in their side’s 67 point win over Hawthorn.
It took less than nine minutes for Malcolm Rosas Jr to make his mark on his AFL return to home ground, TIO Stadium.
The Darwin Buffaloes junior put his team 13 points up with his first kick of the evening, a smart snap on his left foot from the pocket, less than two minutes after Ben Ainsworth ran into an open goal.
The young goal sneak looked absolutely delighted to nail a major in his first AFL game on Territory soil, securing a dream start for his Suns in Marrara.
It could have been two for the quarter for the rookie, after he out-positioned Daniel Howe and marked from about 30m out, but his shot at goal faded to the right.
Much had been made of the Top End heat in the lead up to the encounter, but the Suns looked right at home with Brandon Ellis and Oleg Markov finding their forwards at every opportunity.
Isak Rankine was as active as ever feeding from deep or taking his chances when they came, breaking the game open in the second quarter.
The Hawks for their part stole back some respectively with 2018 Brownlow Medallist Tom Mitchell racking up the possessions.
His class with ball in hand gave the Hawthorn faithful something to grin about giving Jacob Koschitzke and the exciting Chad Wingard their chances at scores.
But every time it looked like Hawks had some parity the Suns returned the favour with interest, and the second half emergence of Touk Miller only twisted the knife further.
Miller took disposal after disposal and put any doubts of the result to bed when he nailed a fourth quarter sealer amid a spree of Suns’ majors.
The Territory boys also remained busy up front, and while a record winning margin went begging for their side, the Suns pulled off their first win at their second home.
And for that reason it was only fitting that just as he was scored one of the opening scores it was Rosas who saw through the final goal of the day.
It was job half done for Suns coach Stuart Dew, who had put down a marker for two wins from two from the Darwin trip.
“It’s about consistency, we won every quarter. We came here to win both games and we knock that one off now,” Dew said.
“It’s difficult conditions but our guys train in this stuff so it was nice to get up here in the heat again and feel that.
“We felt the support here. Joel did some special stuff and Mally was really lively.
“It’s great for them, their family and their community, and we’re going to spend time now being part of this community.”
Territorians show how it’s done at TIO
Territory product Joel Jeffrey was not to be upstaged by the early exploits of Rosas, producing the goal of the night at Marrara.
Stuck deep on the boundary, and surrounded by two Hawthorn defenders, Jeffrey threw the ball on the boot more in hope than anything.
But the pill found its way towards the goalsquare and trickled through for a magic major, while extending the Suns lead to 30 points approaching half time.
The score ensured both Territory products had themselves a major early in the piece giving their friends and family plenty to cheer about.
Defensive differences
While the Suns’ mids won the day and their forwards got the job done, it was their defence that was the real difference.
Many of Hawks best efforts into the forward line were thwarted by intercept marks and heavy tackles from the likes of Ballard, Weller and David Swallow.
However, Hawks early defensive efforts were another story at times leaving open track for Suns to run into or would find themselves on the wrong side of the one on ones.
And an incredibly dominant display from Jarrod Witts in the hit outs only cemented the Suns across the ground ascendancy.
SUNS 4.3 10.8 14.12 18.13 (121)
HAWKS 1.3 4.3 5.5 7.12 (54)
BEST Suns: Ellis, Rankine, Miller, Ballard, Witts, Rosas. Hawks: Wingard, Mitchell, Scrimshaw, Morrison, Koschitzke
GOALS Suns: Chol 3, Rosas 3, Ellis 2, Ainsworth 2, Miller, Rankine, Jeffrey, Anderson, Casboult, Weller, Swallow, Davies. Hawks: Wingard 2, Breust, Moore, Butler, Koschitzke, Lewis
Rosas pumped for TIO encounter
DARWIN’S own Malcolm Rosas Jr will be taking it all in when he runs out on to TIO Stadium as an AFL player for the first time.
The former Darwin Buffalo made his AFL debut in round 9 of the 2021 season against the Brisbane Lions, and went on to play in four games that year.
In season 2022, the 21-year-old goal sneak has really started to cement his place in the side with six more games under his belt so far.
Those games have included wins over strong sides including Sydney Swans, Carlton and Fremantle.
But for Rosas, it is the chance of playing in front of friends and family on his home ground of TIO Stadium which has him most excited.
“I’m very keen to play in Darwin, last year it was a bit of a downer not to play there,” Rosas said.
“It was a bit of a shock, but now I’m keen knowing I’m going to be up there playing in front of friends and family. It’s pretty special to get up there and play some footy.
“I feel like I’ve put some good games in and shown what I’m capable of. It’s about bringing that every game and preparing mentally and physically to back it up each week. I’m just finding that confidence in myself to back myself in whatever I do. I’ve also built up that trust with my team as well to trust me on and off the field.”
Joining Rosas against Hawthorn will be fellow Territory Sun and long-time friend Joel Jeffrey, both set to play on the ground they know better than anyone. Also in the side will be Izak Rankine who has been one of Rosas Jr’s big role models throughout his time at the club.
“Izak (Rankine) is a bit of a role model for me. He’s taken on a similar position and has helped build my confidence and tells me to trust myself and to back my attributes,” Rosas said.
“It’s pretty crazy to be playing with Joel, we dream of playing together in Darwin and it’s now great to be back on TIO Stadium which is our sacred ground that we grew up on.
“It’s good to have played with him the past few weeks, pretty special for us both to play the game we love and grew up playing.”
Rosas will be doing everything he can to get the crowd cheering for the Suns in both games against Hawthorn and then against North Melbourne on June 4. The Suns will be hoping they can adjust to the heat better than their Victorian rivals and the Territorian is more than confident his side can get the job done.
An extra special element is that the match against the Hawks is the second leg of the Sir Doug Nicholls Round, which is expected to only lift the Top End crowd.
“It’s going to be sticky, sweaty and humid and we kind of like that messy kind of style and we’re confident that we can play that type of weather,” Rosas said.
“We just need to go up another level. We didn’t really take the next step against Bulldogs. The belief is there, this is just the beginning for us and I’m confident we can play our roles and get wins.
“It’s good that we got two rounds for the Sir Doug Nicholls. It was really big in Darwin last time (when Suns played Carlton in 2020).
“Not much footy comes to Darwin, not much AFL comes up. Times like this are very special.”
Rankine says his side will have the edge with two Territorians in the team
GOLD Coast Suns forward Izak Rankine believes his 12th-placed side will have an edge over Hawthorn this Saturday with two Territorians in the team.
Rankine, who made his debut with the Suns in 2020, said the squad had enjoyed a few sauna sessions in preparation for the 30 plus degree days up north, while Joel Jeffrey and Malcolm Rosas Jr had plied their community football trade in the Top End, for Wanderers and Darwin Buffaloes respectively.
The Suns also have the added experience of playing in Darwin against Carlton in August, 2020.
However, Rankine hoped the conditions were not as “ridiculously humid, hot and sweaty” as they were last time in that round 13 match.
“It’s going to be who can adjust quicker I guess,” Rankine said ahead of Saturday night’s game at TIO Stadium.
“Hopefully it’s not as bad as it was when I went there against Carlton.
“We want to get there early and adjust to the weather.”
He hoped the hotter conditions would suit the Suns’ love of contested ball while Territory products Jeffrey and Rosas Jr would benefit from having family and friends watching on.
“I know it’s going to be good for Joel and Mally,” he said.
“You always play that little bit extra better when you’re playing in front of family.”
He said Rosas Jr was still finding his feet at AFL level but had shown plenty of potential while Jeffrey’s five-goal game last round against the Western Bulldogs was potentially a breakout match.
“Hopefully Joel can back it up this week,” he said.
“I think he’s going to dominate in the years to come.”
Rankine said he was also looking forward to playing in front of a keen Territory crowd, which will include his mother, and brother Matt who played for Palmerston a few seasons ago.
“The highlight’s always the crowd, the people raving on the sidelines,” he said.
“It’s going to be pretty special. I can’t wait. We’ll have a crack.”
Form wise, Rankine said he was hitting the Territory at just the right time after strong performances against Sydney, Fremantle and Bulldogs – with three total goals and averaging 16 touches – after a “slow” start to the season, after largely “going back to basics”.
Rankine admitted last season had been a tougher experience after a strong 2020 debut season — warranting more attention from defenders which saw him dropped by round 20.
“As soon as people figure out your game you have to find new ways to get free and new ways to play I guess,” he said.
“2021 was pretty hard, I wasn’t playing as well as I wanted to.
“My form was low, my confidence was low.
“(But) this year has been really good. I’ve just surrounded myself with good people.”
Rankine is also looking forward to hanging out with family and friends and meeting Jeffrey and Rosas’ families: “I can’t wait to get up there and experience the culture.
Gold Coast Suns looking to ‘cement’ special relationship with the Territory
GOLD Coast Suns is keen to “cement” its connection to the Territory when its 26-man squad arrives in Darwin on Thursday ahead of its round 11 match against Hawthorn at TIO Stadium on Saturday night.
The Suns have three Territorians on its list: goal sneaks Joel Jeffrey and Malcolm Rosas Jr and backman Sandy Brock, while Ned Stevens (Waratah) and Riley Stone (Palmerston) are currently at the club’s academy.
Wanderers defender Lloyd Johnston will also train with the club’s high performance squad next month.
Suns general manager Wayne Campbell told the NT News the team had several objectives during its Top End stay, which also includes a game against North Melbourne on June 4 at Marrara.
“We’re there to do things, get the job done twice, bring home the points but also really cement our connection to the Territory,” Campbell said.
“It’s been a wonderful partnership that we’ve got with the NT and Darwin more specifically.
“Hopefully it’s mutually beneficial.
“We want a pathway for young boys and girls from Darwin and NT to come into an elite environment.”
However, he wanted to ensure the players embraced the NT experience with a maximum of 33C predicted for Saturday.
“(Jeffrey and Rosas Jr) had this one pencilled in for a long period of time,” he said.
“We’re really excited to see them ply their trade in front of a home crowd.
“We want our boys to get out and have a look around. Make our guys aware of what a beautiful place it is.”
Campbell said Jeffrey had been “pretty extraordinary” in round 10, slotting five goals against Western Bulldogs in a 19-point loss.
“It’s a pretty high … benchmark to reach,” he said.
“To do it in your tenth game is pretty extraordinary really.”
He said Jeffrey had overcome an interrupted pre season to find some consistency at AFL level and had combined goalscoring with “little defensive acts”, which showed he was buying into the team’s game plan.
“We just knew he had the talent, so we wanted to get him in as soon as he could,” he said.
“He really rewarded us on the weekend with a really solid performance.
“The boys really enjoy him out there and his pressure was really good as well.
“He’s a pretty exciting talent for us.”
Meanwhile, he said his first glimpse of Rosas Jr indicated he had “something pretty special”, and praised his clean possession, goal sense and leg speed which “scares opposition backs”.
“He’s had some ups and downs but that’s what happens with a small forward when they first come into the game,” he said.
He said Rosas Jr’s best game was against Carlton in round four where he kicked three goals, including a spectacular banana from the pocket.
He also said Brock had “AFL traits” who read the ball well in flight and was a good kick.
“Can he play AFL football this year? I think he could. But there's no rush with these sort of guys either,” he said.
“He’s made a real impression with the VFL team so far.”
Joel Jeffrey says it will be dream come true when he plays for the Suns in the Territory
IT will be a lifelong dream come true when Territory Sun and the AFL’s Round 10 Rising Star nominee Joel Jeffrey runs out in front of friends and family in Darwin.
The Wanderers junior, known for his speed and skill in the NTFL, came into his own last weekend against the Western Bulldogs, kicking five goals in explosive fashion.
It was his second AFL game for the year following the Suns’ win over Fremantle and went a long way to pushing his case as a frequent selection.
And for the former Muk Muk, the form came at just the right time as the Gold Coast comes to Darwin for an exciting double header against Hawthorn and North Melbourne.
“I’ve been thinking about it for the past few weeks and have finally squeezed my way into the side, I’m just getting goosebumps,” Jeffrey said.
“I can’t wait to run out in front of friends and family, it will probably be one of the best points in my footy career, playing in the place where I grew up.
“I had a rough start to the season due to injury, but I’ve finally found some form and have been working hard on my game and what it looks like over the past 10 months.”
Jeffrey is loving life on the Gold Coast, linking up with fellow Territorian and old friend Malcolm Rosas Jr, with the pair playing alongside each other for the first time against the Dockers.
He’s also found a strong connection with fellow Indigenous players such as Sean Lemmens and former player Jarrod Harbrow.
That camaraderie will only grow as they pull on an Indigenous strip that represents both the Gold Coast and Darwin for the Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
“Mally and I have known each other for a while and used to hang out back in Darwin,” Jeffrey said.
“It was a great feeling, just goosebumps, to be running around with another player from Darwin and we’re looking forward to those Darwin games.
“Jarrod Harbrow took me under his wing when I first came to the club and showed me the ropes and he still looks after us.
“Sean Lemmens is the same. He looks after us and checks up on us every day pretty much and makes sure we play our best footy.
“It’s unreal for Darwin to be represented on the jersey. It’s two different languages and Darwin artist Trent Lee has done a great job representing what Darwin is about.”
Jeffrey is also licking his lips at the chance of playing in a stadium he knows better than anyone and he’s playing in front of a crowd that will be cheering his every move.
And for that reason his teammates are making sure to pick his brains on the weather and what that will mean once they hit the field.
“The boys are asking me 24/4, how the weather is up in Darwin. But I just say it’s the dry season, it’s cool,” Jeffrey said.
“I’m looking forward to it. It will be a good advantage playing the Victorian boys, but we still have to play good footy.
“I’m sure everyone is keen up there. It’s just good to have the Indigenous game there because of the strong culture.
“I’m sure we will get a good crowd. For the young boys up there it will open their eyes up and inspire them to make a pathway for themselves into AFL footy.”
‘Potential draftee’: NT star to train with Gold Coast Suns
WANDERERS rookie defender and “potential draftee” Lloyd Johnston will train with the Gold Coast Suns’ high performance squad for a fortnight, giving him exposure to AFL-level coaching.
Johnston, who was named the NT News Rising Star after a superb NTFL season, would receive guidance from the likes of former North Melbourne head coach now the Suns’ head of development, Rhyce Shaw, from the end of June.
It comes after Suns recruiter Kade Nanscawen said recently Johnston had “a lot of AFL traits”.
Academy manager Kath Newman told The NT News the training was a way to give “potential draftees” an early taste of an AFL environment.
“The whole aim of the program is to get them in and experience what it’s like to be in an AFL environment at academy level,” Newman said.
“That gives the recruiters a chance to take a look at them and it also gives the player a chance to transition from community football to a high performance environment.
“If relocation was something (Lloyd) and his family would like to look at, at least he’s had a taste of what the program is like, what the Gold Coast is like.
“We don’t like to relocate them cold.
“We like to give them a little bit of an experience and make sure that we transition them into the Gold Coast life, high performance life, rather than having a bit of a culture shock once they get here.”
The Suns academy takes on talented boys and girls aged from Under 13 up to 19-year-olds, with Palmerston’s Riley Stone and Ned Stevens (Waratah) current members.
“They’re doing really well,” Newman said of the two local talents.
Stone has played two games for the Suns in the VFL so far this season, picking up 13 possessions against Footscray on Saturday.
“Riley played VFL on the weekend and I’ve heard glowing reports today,” she said.
“He normally plays that high forward (position) … but he got a fair bit of the footy and they were impressed with his attack on the footy and defensively as well.
“Ned hasn’t had the same opportunity at VFL level because we’ve got a wealth of talls at the moment.”
Stone and Stevens were also two of five NT players named in the Allies squad for the Under 18 national championships in June and July, which also includes Anthony Munkara (Tiwi Bombers), Lloyd Johnston (Wanderers) and Beau Tedcastle (St Mary’s).
The squad is made up of players from the Territory, New South Wales, ACT, Queensland and Tasmania.
Sandy Brock dreaming of an NT debut
It would “mean everything” for Palmerston product and Gold Coast Suns defensive rookie Sandy Brock to debut in front of family and friends next weekend in Darwin.
The 19-year-old key defender, who was picked as a rookie last year, has high hopes he will make his debut at TIO Stadium when the Suns take on Hawthorn on May 28.
The Suns will then play North Melbourne the following Saturday at Marrara.
“It would mean everything,” Brock told the NT News.
“I saw the two games (scheduled) … it was a big goal to try and debut.
“Whenever the footy comes to Darwin, it’s such an amazing experience for all the AFL fans there.
“Having two (games) there is an even bigger (deal), because you get to spend the week in between in Darwin.
“Show the other players around and spend more time with family and friends.”
With the Suns bringing a 26-man squad next weekend, Brock said he felt like he was inching closer to his 2022 goal of making his AFL debut this season.
He collected a season-high 14 disposals and six marks in a 10-point loss at Downer Oval last Saturday.
“I’ve been getting better every week and my last game (against Williamstown) was really good, so hopefully it comes soon, the progression keeps coming,” he said.
“I got my offence more involved in that last game, it helps me bring my game to the next level.”
With a healthy supply of key position players in defence at the Suns, including Rory Thompson and Sam Collins, he sometimes had to pick up smaller players in the VFL.
“It’s been a challenge but a great learning experience,” he said.
Brock was keen to guard one of Footscray’s bigger forwards this weekend, and book his ticket to Darwin.
“Hopefully I play well and debut (in Darwin),” he said.
“It’s a dream come true (playing for the Suns), it’s nearly every boy’s dream to play AFL footy for a living, I’m loving it.”
Meanwhile, Brock said Palmerston was a great place to learn his craft, under the tutelage of former coach Alwyn Davey, while ex-Magpie Dylan Gordon had been a defensive mentor.
“He taught me a lot about body positions and all that, he was really good,” he said.
“The way he trained, he always turned up early and did 100 per cent.
“He was really professional about it.”
VFL head coach Jackson Kornberg said lauded the young gun for his eagerness and willingness to learn each week.
“Sandy is a key intercepting defender who is really starting to come out of his shell as a person and really starting to settle in on the Gold Coast,” Kornberg said.
“Being able to adjust and being able to work against and play on taller players has been a real learning curve for him but he’s coming along well.
“His intercepting has come a really long way as has his run and drive with ball in hand. Early on he was defend first, which is great, but has started to add other strings to his bow.
“He’s incredibly keen to learn, he’s a really good listener, he seeks feedback and constantly wants to talk about his game which is fantastic for a young 19-year-old.
“He’s still a work in progress as anyone his age but he’s certainly heading in the right direction.”
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