Mid-season report: Suns must bridge the chasm between rousing best and ‘wet-lettuce’ worst

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In numbers

• 5/10 – SCORE
• 6 – WINS
• 6 – LOSSES
• 11th – LADDER POSITION

After 12 years in the competition, and with coach Stuart Dew in his seventh year at the helm, the Suns set themselves a clear target at the beginning of the year: to play in their first finals series.

Despite rousing wins over Adelaide and the Dogs in the past fortnight, it’s going to be difficult from here. But they’re still in the hunt: now just out of the eight on percentage, with six wins from 12 games to date.

Gold Coast’s Matt Rowell is the contested ball king.Credit: Getty Images/Steve Kiprillis

But the gap between this team’s best and worst remains a chasm. They rolled over in round one, then rolled reigning premiers Geelong in round three. They followed that up with a wet-lettuce effort against St Kilda. They’ve been better since, but this is a side that still seems to pick and choose when it turns up to play.

There have been gains. Key forward Ben King has made a successful return from a knee reconstruction, and his return of 30.11 this season has been undersold. Jack Lukosius has finally settled in attack and has been influential at times – particularly with bags of five goals in wins against both Geelong and Adelaide. Matt Rowell is finally injury-free and emerging as one of the biggest bulls in the competition. Darcy Macpherson has improved.

But a knee injury to co-captain Touk Miller against the Kangaroos was a devastating blow, and the Suns are still too reliant on the same core of key players. The playing list, continually raided by other clubs, lacks depth (small forward Izak Rankine, now starring for Adelaide, is one they miss terribly).

Who’s hot

Matt Rowell crash-landed in the AFL like a meteor when he polled nine Brownlow votes in his first four games back in 2020. It’s taken him a long time to regain his confidence after being derailed by serious shoulder and knee injuries, but he’s now expanding his game, hurting the opposition on the outside as well as smashing bodies in packs. His game against West Coast was a jaw-dropper: 17 tackles to go with 610 metres gained, a goal and three assists.

There’s one word for Noah Anderson: star. Rowell’s best mate, drafted at No.2 to Rowell’s No.1 in 2019, Anderson is the complete package; a relentless both-ways runner who shows leadership and maturity far beyond his 22 years. He’s an elite clearance player who also pressures the opposition and makes his teammates better. All of it was on show in the Suns’ narrow five-point loss to Melbourne, where Anderson was clearly best on ground.

Noah Anderson kicks under pressure as the Suns score an upset win over Geelong in round three.Credit: Getty Images

Charlie Ballard is the flag-bearer for players who would have a much greater profile if they played down south. In the first 11 rounds, Ballard plucked a league-leading 51 intercept marks, and was second for contested marks. His superb aerial judgement is usually matched by neat, creative ball use. He’s also courageous, often showing disregard for his own safety. He sits comfortably among the best rebounding half-backs in the league.

Who’s not

After an excellent debut season with the Suns last year, when he kicked 44.27, Mabior Chol has been far below that standard in 2023. To date, he’s got just 7.6 to his name from six games. He’s been dropped twice, raising questions about his work-rate and failure to consistently lead up for the ball or make a genuine contest. If the Suns are going to be competitive in the second half of the year, Chol is one player who needs to lift.

Brandon Ellis has never been less than an honest player in his 12-year career – it’s one of the qualities the Suns were searching for when they recruited him from Richmond at the end of 2019. So, the 29-year-old will know his six games in his fourth season for the Suns have been off the pace. He’s been below his career averages in all the key metrics and has struggled to impact games.

Now in his third year of AFL football, Elijah Hollands needs to get a move on. Drafted at pick seven in 2020, he broke through with some eye-catching performances late last year, including a 23-possession, two-goal effort against Hawthorn in round 21. But after playing the first four rounds of 2023, Hollands was omitted and only returned to the team in round 12. He has obvious talent, but the challenge for him and his coaches is to maximise it.

Coach’s box

Even before triple-premiership coach Damien Hardwick’s shock resignation from Richmond, Gold Coast Suns CEO Mark Evans wasn’t committing to Stuart Dew’s future at the Suns beyond 2023. Dew is contracted until the end of 2024, but that doesn’t count for much these days. Having set the controls for finals or bust, he doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room.

Despite having a contract for 2024, the whispers suggest coach Stuart Dew needs the Suns to surge in the second half of this year to shore up his future in the job.Credit: Getty Images

Regardless of whether Hardwick picks up the phone to take Evans’ call or not, and as much as Dew insists that he’s the man for the job, he will know his side has to go hell for leather from here if he’s to fulfil that contract.

The reality is the Suns haven’t finished higher than 12th under his leadership and currently sit 11th. Another triple premiership coach, Leigh Matthews, put it this way: it’s the numbers that will get you in the end.

The road ahead

Round 13 Bye
Round 14 v Carlton at the MCG
Round 15 v Hawthorn at Heritage Bank Stadium
Round 16 v Collingwood at Heritage Bank Stadium
Round 17 v Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval
Round 18 v St Kilda at Heritage Bank Stadium
Round 19 v Greater Western Sydney at Manuka Oval
Round 20 v Brisbane Lions at Heritage Bank Stadium
Round 21 v Adelaide at Adelaide Oval
Round 22 v Sydney Swans at the SCG
Round 23 v Carlton at Heritage Bank Stadium
Round 24 v North Melbourne at Blundstone Arena.

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