Season 2022 shapes as a monumentally important year for the Gold Coast Suns, who have still never tasted post-season action even after 11 years of AFL assistance, as their prolonged state of mediocrity continues to ignite Tasmania relocation talks and results in the exits of young talent to rival teams.
Furthermore, out-of-contract senior coach Stuart Dew is once again in the hot seat, preparing to enter a make-or-break campaign that will either see him back at the helm again in 12 months' time or out of a job.
Over the course of the off-season, the Suns were praised for nabbing generational talent Mac Andrew at last November's draft, as well as luring free agent Mabior Chol and delisted free agents Charlie Constable and Levi Casboult to Carrara.
However, the club was lambasted for its handling of the Hugh Greenwood situation, which resulted in the hard-nosed midfielder's departure to Arden Street to play for North Melbourne. It was a questionable sequence of events to say the least, yet unsurprising, given these decisions were made by the same people who sent now-Lions midfielder Jarryd Lyons packing at the end of 2018.
The entire nation - yes, especially Tasmania - will have a close eye on the Suns in 2022 as they prepare to tee-off on their 12th campaign and fifth under the guidance of Dew.
Off-Season Moves
Ins: Mac Andrew (National Draft), Sandy Brock (Academy), Levi Casboult (Rookie Draft, Carlton), Mabior Chol (Richmond), Charlie Constable (Geelong), James Tsitas (Supplemental Selection Period), Bodhi Uwland (Academy).
Outs: Will Brodie (Fremantle), Aiden Fyfe (delisted), Hugh Greenwood (North Melbourne), Jarrod Harbrow (retired), Jack Hombsch (retired), Jordan Murdoch (retired), Zac Smith (retired), Luke Towey (delisted), Jacob Townsend (delisted).
Gold Coast finished 16th on the ladder at the end of the 2021 season. It's the tenth time they've finished below 13th, with their 2014 12th-placed effort representing the best finish in the club's history to this point.
The Suns were competitive throughout the first month of the 2021 season, going 1-3 but losing by an average margin of just 15.3 points.
SEE ALSO: 2022 AFL Season Preview: Geelong
However, the Suns then only managed to win three of their next ten games, losing by an average differential of 37.7 points.
Despite the numerous lows that came with the 2021 season, including another season-ending Matt Rowell injury, the Suns strung together two heart-stoppingly brilliant victories over reigning premiers Richmond and finals-hopeful GWS in what culminated a highlight fortnight of Gold Coast's season.
Albeit, the Suns' 2021 season theme was 'inconsistency'. After toppling the Tigers and Giants, the Suns went on to win just one of their final six contests, falling to an average tune of 62.6 points and slumping to an end-of-season record of 7-15.
Talent: Gold Coast possess an abundance of young talent, with many promising Suns yet to even have their first taste of AFL action.
The Suns have extremely high hopes for 2020 No. 7 selection Elijah Hollands, who has been hampered by an ACL injury but is looking to get his career off the ground in 2022.
Last November's first-rounder, Mac Andrew, is an exciting, yet raw, ruck-forward prospect who looks set to succeed Jarrod Witts once he hangs up the boots.
This, all without mentioning the likes of livewire forward Izak Rankine, elite-kicking utility Jack Lukosius and budding half-forward Ben Ainsworth, and it's easy to see how stacked with talent the Suns are.
Midfield: Gold Coast's midfield group, headlined by superstar Touk Miller, looks in terrific shape heading into the new season.
Slated to line up alongside Miller in the middle of the ground are the likes of Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson and Jeremy Sharp, balanced by the veteran presence of David Swallow and Brandon Ellis as an outside runner.
Even after the departure of Greenwood, the Suns still have decent depth at the position, with the hopefully-healthy Rory Atkins and recently-acquired Constable ready and waiting.
The only question with this group is whether they can gel and build chemistry together, or if the lack of continuity once again causes issues for Dew and the Suns.
Experience: As previously mentioned, Gold Coast's list is overflowing with young and talented players and prospects. However, it's not so chock-a-block with experienced players and proven winners.
Swallow has been a mainstay at the Suns and is a great leader, but he isn't a game-changer by any means and is gradually reaching the twilight of his career.
Ellis won premierships with Richmond in 2017 and 2019 but, again, he isn't somebody that's going to flip the game on its head.
The closest thing the Suns had to that kind of player was Gary Ablett Jr., and not only is he long gone but not even the 'Little Master' could deliver a Gold Coast a finals berth.
Consistency: In recent seasons, the Suns have had patches of games where they look like an exciting squad that could actually push to play finals football, but during other patches look like a team that barely deserves to play at the top level.
The key for Gold Coast has been, and continues to be, playing consistently good football for an entire season - or at the very least more than just a small handful of games.
Under Dew - and the coaches that have come and gone before him - the Suns have not been able to achieve this.
After the first six seasons of his career were spent largely under the radar, the 26-year-old Miller exploded in his seventh season, earning a well-deserved maiden All-Australian berth and leading the Suns in admirable fashion.
The Calder Cannons product, who will certainly be in All-Australian contention once again in 2022, averaged a career-high stat-line of 31.8 disposals, 4.5 marks, 7.1 tackles, 4.3 inside-50s and 5.7 clearances.
Midfielder
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
The star midfielder ranked fifth in the league in effective disposals per game in 2021, as well as polling fourth in total tackles and fifth in disposals per game.
Miller was, without doubt, the Suns' bright spot in 2021 and goes into the new season as Gold Coast's unchallenged best player.
All signs point to a huge year for Matt Rowell, assuming he's healthy, but everybody seems to be forgetting about the other Suns' top-three draft selection in Noah Anderson.
The 21-year-old spent plenty of time at the centre bounce last year and is poised to spend even more time in the engine room and thrive from the pressure. And, with the majority of opposition attention going to either Miller or Rowell, Anderson should be left with enough freedom to win his own ball and dominate.
Midfielder
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
After a 2020 debut season that saw him average 16.5 disposals per game, Anderson upped his possession average to 22.6 in 2021 to go along with 4.2 marks, three tackles and four clearances per contest.
The Oakleigh Chargers product won't go into 2022 with a lot of hype surrounding him, but you'd be foolish not to expect a huge season from the third-year ball-magnet.
Whenever it seems as if the Suns are trending in the right direction and are stringing together competitive efforts, they tend to let themselves down during the middle-to-late portions of the season, having lapses in effort and concentration, leading to morale-crushing blowout losses and an uncompetitive final month of the season.
If things are to truly change in 2022, the Suns need to remain physically and mentally committed throughout not just patches, but the entirety of the season if they're any chance of challenging for a maiden finals berth.
In 2022, the Suns have an enormous opportunity; one that Dew's men just have to capitalise on.
Of their final 12 match-ups of the upcoming season, eight of them come against teams that did not play finals footy in 2021, including two games against Hawthorn and two against North Melbourne.
Gold Coast has a genuine chance of coming home with a wet sail and truly competing for a top-eight spot at the business end of the season.
Ultimately, the Suns don't have enough experienced, cool-headed players to help push them towards a finals spot, and we think it will once again be their undoing - at the expense of Dew, who is likely not to see his contract at Carrara extended.
Miller, Anderson and Rowell will run rampant through the middle of the ground, and Sam Collins, Wil Powell and Charlie Ballard will head a serviceable back-line, but the Suns will miss the presence of Ben King as a consistent forward-50 target.
Predicted Position: 18th