AFL season review: Gold Coast Suns fail finals test, have major list calls to make in 2025

Gold Coast will try to fix a major issue by poaching experienced players from rival clubs. But there is one type of player the Suns have ruled out – despite the immediate sugar hit.

The AFL world was once again hoodwinked by the Gold Coast Suns, who promised to finally deliver a maiden finals berth in 2024 only to fall short in an all-too familiar fashion.

A round 24 victory over Richmond lifted the Suns to 11 wins – their highest mark in club history – though with the caveat of an extra game played this season.

In their first year under Damien Hardwick the Suns looked like an improved product on the previous season, but still faded late to fall out of finals contention.

They went 9-2 at home but 2-10 on the road, with their away form confounding both the coach and playing group.

The three-point loss to St Kilda in round 13 proved a turning point in the season but the major failures came against North Melbourne and West Coast – road games against bottom-three opposition they had to win, but failed to. It proved the Suns were still a step away from becoming the finals side many expected them to be.

“Ultimately, we’re disappointed with where we ended up,” Suns football boss Wayne Campbell told this masthead.

“We wanted to play finals. We thought we had the capabilities to play finals. But we fell short – probably by two games, which is two of the West Coast, North Melbourne and St Kilda games … and the Melbourne game down the track.

“We feel like we’ve made gains to winning a premiership, but we didn’t play finals in 2024.”

Mac Andrew and Sam Flanders took their games to another level in 2024. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Sam Flanders continued his rise to AFL stardom with a stunning campaign that was unlucky not to net him a place in the All-Australian squad of 44. Across half-back he was among the best running defenders in the league and after returning to the midfield became arguably the Suns’ best-performed player.

Mac Andrew took major strides toward becoming the star key-position player many expected him to be, first-year player Will Graham showed he has what it takes to become a 200-gamer and Bodhi Uwland exploded onto the scene as one of the most consistent medium defenders in the game.

But former first-round pick Bailey Humphrey appeared to take a step back in his sophomore season, having flashed game-breaking ability in his debut 2023 campaign. If he can take a jump in year three – and the Suns’ 2024 draft crop rises – then they are set up for a serious charge next season. But we say something similar every September, don’t we?

Daniel Rioli wants to be playing on the Gold Coast next year. Picture: Michael Klein

OFF-SEASON MOVES

The Suns are poised to be one of the biggest players during the free agency and trade period. Richmond’s Daniel Rioli and Collingwood’s John Noble have already requested trades to Gold Coast, filling a gap in the side’s running defender stocks. Key forward Jack Lukosius has been given permission to speak to other clubs, but with two years still to run on his current deal the Suns hold the whip hand in any trade negotiations.

Malcolm Rosas and Jy Farrar, both contracted to the end of 2025, have similarly been told to test the market.

On Tuesday this masthead reported the AFL had told Gold Coast it would lose the additional rookie list spots it was given as part of the 2019 assistance package, meaning the club was set for a major list cull.

On Wednesday, the club announced Darcy Macpherson, James Tsitas, Jack Mahony, Sandy Brock, Oskar Faulkhead and Will Rowlands would not be offered contracts for 2025.

Gold Coast currently owns picks 6, 12, 20 and 26 in the upcoming draft, though six will likely be dealt to the Tigers in any deal for Rioli. Collingwood could request pick 20 or 26 for Noble, which would still leave the Suns with enough points to match any bids on academy product Leo Lombard.

Gold Coast has high hopes for Suns Academy product Leo Lombard. Picture: Jenny Evans/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Outside of Lombard, it is unlikely they stack the deck at the draft given the looming list squeeze.

Instead, it is all about bringing in the likes of Rioli and Noble to strengthen an area of weakness, and manoeuvring room in the salary cap for next year when Matt Rowell, Mac Andrew, Sam Collins and Charlie Ballard are all up for renewal.

OFF THE FIELD

Gold Coast went all-in on Hardwick when it signed him to a six-year deal last August and while there was no finals appearance in year one, the triple-premiership coach has made sizeable strides in the right direction.

Already the Suns loom as a destination club, with Rioli and Noble declaring their preference to play under Hardwick, while the collective playing group agrees the new system is an improvement on what has been deployed previously.

Damien Hardwick signed a six-year contract last August. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“Was it a successful year? Not in terms of wins and losses. But in terms of finding out about our playing list and footy department, we feel like we’re pretty well placed,” Campbell said.

“We know with a set system, it tells you what you’re good at and where you’re deficient.

“Essentially we were good at winning the ball back, we were good at putting the ball back inside 50, but we were poor at retaining it inside 50 and poor at scoring from that. So that then tells us what we need to work on.”

Hardwick will be one of the most scrutinised senior coaches next year, especially if the Suns have a poor start to 2025, but he and the club will be tied at the hip for years to come. If he cannot lead the Suns to September, then there are very few who can.

2025 PREVIEW

Campbell says the Suns will bank on their young players taking another step in 2025 as a means of overcoming the deficiencies that plagued their rollercoaster 2024 campaign.

“Inside 50 we feel like we have the players on the list.

“We’ve got (Jed) Walter, (Ethan) Read and (Jake) Rogers who will be second-year players – so you can’t pin all your hopes on them – and if we’re lucky enough to pick up Leo Lombard in the draft, he is that angry tackling forward that we need.

“So we feel like the answers are there. It will take a bit of time with those guys, but they do have some experience around them.

“Whilst we will look to add to our list with Noble and Rioli, we also feel like the players on our list can help solve the problems that we had this year.”

Gold Coast expects a Jed Walter to take a leap in his second season. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Expect Hardwick to quickly settle on a best 23 next season, having spent the majority of his first year in charge moving the magnets around.

The Suns hope to see a noticeable jump in Walter’s output after another off-season working on his forward craft.

And expect to see Andrew return to the backline in 2025, despite ending the year as a key forward.

Read has been earmarked as the third tall inside 50 alongside Ben King and Walter.

“Our efficiency going inside 50 and efficiency retaining the ball inside 50 is the major work. But we don’t feel like going out to get another key forward is the answer because we’ve got three really good ones,” Campbell said.

“If we were to recruit say a Charlie Curnow, would we be better next year? Yes. But you don’t do that, because we’ve got Walter and Read.

“It does mean that in 2025 there will be some inconsistency in performance. It will be more consistent than this year hopefully, but not as consistent as ’26 and ’27 because by then they will be third and fourth-year key forwards.”

WAY TOO EARLY PREDICTION: 7th (14-9)

Originally published as AFL season review: Gold Coast Suns fail finals test, have major list calls to make in 2025