John Noble reveals he is at home on the Gold Coast away from Melbourne’s AFL ‘microscope’

Gold Coast Suns star recruit John Noble has revealed the impact of moving outside Melbourne’s AFL ‘microscope’ has had on him and why he could be set for a breakout season in 2025.

John Noble of the Suns looks to kick during the 2025 AAMI AFL Community Series match between Gold Coast Suns and Sydney Swans. Photo: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images.

Away from the spotlight and intense pressure of Melbourne’s AFL-centric environment, John Noble has found a new home on the Gold Coast and is relishing the new Queensland lifestyle.

Noble spent six seasons at Collingwood and played 112 games and the black and white before being traded to the Suns at the end of last year.

“There’s an element of being under a microscope in Melbourne with being at Collingwood or the home of footy,” he said.

“It is a bit of a breath of fresh air coming up here and being able to head-down bum-up sort of attitude, whether it translates to playing better or not, time will tell.

“I definitely feel more at home here, my family’s here, I feel really settled, I loved my time in Melbourne but I’m really excited to see what we can do this year.

“The lifestyle is way better up here, the sun’s always out and it comes up early, so your day sort of shifts, your schedule shifts.

“It took a little bit to adapt coming from Melbourne but I am absolutely loving it.

“It’s really enjoyable, it’s hard to beat when the sun’s always out and the footies are out.”

Along with soaking up the Queensland sun, the Suns defender believes he could be in for a breakout season under three-time premiership winning coach Damien Hardwick.

“I feel like I’m in a really good space on and off the field, building my chemistry with staff and players slowly, obviously that takes time but I feel like I’m in a really positive space,” Noble said.

John Noble of the Suns in action during the 2025 AFL Match Simulation between the Gold Coast Suns and Collingwood Magpies. Photo: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“I can’t wait to see what 2025 brings for us and hopefully our fans are excited as well.”

It was no secret that the Suns struggled on the road in 2024, but Noble hopes his extensive experience playing in Victoria could come in handy for the away trips this year.

“It’s always funny when teams win at home and lose away, there’s so many variables that happen, sometimes it’s just a coincidence that you lose away,” he said.

“I didn’t travel much at Collingwood, but being on the road is something that I really enjoy.

“It’s obviously very different, going from travelling four times a year to every second week, flights, scheduling, recovery, all those things that you got to take into consideration.

“I am looking forward to it, it’s a different challenge, a different environment, you build really strong relationships when you travel and if you win it’s even better.

“Hopefully the way we’ve gone about our pre-season so far, we’ve obviously shifted a few things and hopefully that translates to more wins on the road.”

Originally published as John Noble reveals he is at home on the Gold Coast away from Melbourne’s AFL ‘microscope’