Gold Coast Suns AFL 2018 Season Preview

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• Author: Alex Christodoulou
  Mar 01, 2018 09:58 PM
• AAP

Life after Ablett

Key Ins: Lachie Weller (Freemantle Dockers)

Key Outs: Gary Ablett (Geelong Cats), Adam Saad (Essendon Bombers), Brandon Matera (Freemantle Dockers)  

Overview

Since entering the competition in 2011, the Suns have failed to shine, with a 12th place finish in 2014 the highlight of an otherwise abysmal showing. After a second last finish in 2017, things aren't looking any brighter on the Gold Coast this year mainly due to the loss of marquee player and arguably the greatest footballer of his generation, Gary Ablett Jnr.. If the Suns have been struggling with Ablett leading their midfield, it begs the question of how they will fare without him. 

Ablett hasn't been the only major change for the struggling club, with Rodney Eade's disastrous tenure as coach coming to an end, replaced by Stuart Dew who has a monumental task at the helm of a sinking ship. Having spent time in the Swans's coaching ranks, Dew would have picked up valuable coaching wisdom to pass onto his struggling players. 

Promising new recruit Lachie Weller will attempt to fill the chasm left by Ablett's departure, and will need all the help he can get from his new teammates. Gold Coast ranked last in tackling last year, only completing 61.6 per game. This midfield will need to adapt quickly if they stand any chance of avoiding the wooden spoon. 

A positive for the Suns is that there is no shortage of talent on their list. Aaron Hall, Jack Martin and Tom Lynch all possess an x-factor and are capable of winning games single-handedly. If they can put it all together, the Suns could be a tricky opposition to face. 

Player to watch: The young midfielder Touk Miller had a solid season last year, bearing some of the load when Ablett was injured or not performing. The Suns' top hand-baller and fourth-best contested ball winner, Miller will be aiming to springboard the Suns' attacks.

Key player: In a decent team, Tom Lynch could kick 100 goals in a season. As fate would have it however, he finds himself at the Suns where goal scoring opportunities prove few and far between. With 2.3 goals per game in 2017, Lynch is among the league's best full-forwards. An expert marker and equipped with a true kick, Lynch will need to carry Gold Coast's attack this season. 

Defensive rating 3/10

The Suns will be looking to Jarrod Harbrow and the versatile Pearce Hanley to thwart opposition forwards this season. Both solid players, they will need to give everything for the team each week to avoid any blowouts. 

Attacking threat 4/10

If Tom Lynch can avoid injuries, the Gold Coast will win games. He is too good a player not to score a bag of goals this year. He'll be looking to the young and promising full-forward Peter Wright to be his partner in crime. 

Midfield strength 3/10

With plenty of potential, it will come down to whether Gold Coast's new look midfield can gel well enough to provide goal scoring opportunities for their forward line, whilst blunting opposition attacking raids. New recruit Lachie Weller will be looking to combine with Miller, Martin, and Hall, who will need to have stellar seasons to bring some joy to the Suns' fans.