Although the Suns wouldn't feature in September action in 2022, the club had its best season since the Gary Ablett era in 2014, meaning optimism amongst the Gold Coast sky is brighter than ever before.
2023 looms as their year to breakthrough the illusive dangling carrot and feature where it counts the most: finals football. Gold Coast's depth runs deep with a young classy midfield led by tireless workhorse Touk Miller, a back six which does its role every week, and a dangerous forward setup with a number of tall timber to provide silver service to.
All in all, the Suns arguably have the best depth in its playing depth in its 12 year history. The next step will be challenging the top tier sides such as Melbourne, Geelong, Geelong, and Collingwood. Everything feels ripe for the Suns to make serious waves under Stuart Dew, we'll find out come the opening month of the season.
Here is what their best team looks on paper from the backline, midfield, and forward line.
INS:
Jed Anderson (pre-season supplemental selection period), Tom Berry (trade, Brisbane), Connor Blakely (Rookie Draft), Bailey Humphrey (No.6 draft pick), Lloyd Johnston (category B rookie), Ben Long (trade, St Kilda), Brodie McLaughlin (pre-season supplemental selection period), Jake Stein (Rookie Draft)
OUTS:
Jack Bowes (trade, Geelong), Matt Conroy (delisted), Josh Corbett (trade, Fremantle), Jez McLennan (delisted), Oleg Markov (delisted), Patrick Murtagh (delisted), Rhys Nicholls (delisted), Izak Rankine (trade, Adelaide), Rory Thompson (retired)
Gold Coast's back six is a combination of emerging youngsters and a steady veteran head in Sam Collins. Four years ago, Collins would be given a second chance by the Suns. Now he has become one of the league's highly underrated key defenders. He resembles what the main key defender possesses: an ability to shutdown the opposition's best forward in one-on-one contests.
Matchups against some of the competitions best loom, set to face the likes of Tom Hawkins, Tom Lynch and Harry McKay throughout the season.
Complementing Collins as the second tall defender is Charlie Ballard. The athletic defender had an excellent 2022 campaign before missing the final rounds with a medial collateral ligament injury to his right knee. The 23-year-old's intercept marking is the strongest area in his game and it allows for the Suns to repel from their defensive 50. With a fit and firing Ballard ready to go and Collins' stingy defence, the duo are set to make it difficult for opposition sides to regularly score.
Caleb Graham, an emerging piece in the Suns' back six made positive strides in 2022, featuring in 15 matches in 2022. Ultimately rewarded for his breakout year, signing a four-year deal with the club until the end of 2026. His mobility is a highlighting feature standing at 195 cm. Expect at various stages throughout the season for him and Ballard to play on the opposition's number two forward.
Whilst its spine in the key defensive pillars is strong, the Suns have an assortment of small to medium defenders who consistently perform. Connor Budarick, although won't feature in the first half of 2023 as he recovers from an ACL, normally gets the opposition's best small forward. His football smarts have seen him claim key scalps of retired Port Adelaide superstar Robbie Gray and Sydney's energiser bunny Tom Papley.
Like Budarick, Will Powell is on the comeback from a serious ankle injury. His composure and kicking skills are integral to the Suns's generating attacking forays from half-back. Although the 23-year-old had a recent injury setback to his hamstring, the side has the option of playing Lachie Weller in the role having done it throughout his 127 games.
Over the last five seasons, the Suns have been steadily building a midfield nucleus ready to be together for the next decade. None more so than Touk Miller who leads from the front week in week out. The 26-year-old had another brilliant campaign last season, averaging 28.4 disposals and 6 tackles per contest. Although being one of the shorter midfielders in the game, Miller's ability to accumulate the ball despite heavy opposition attention made him clearly stand out.
Whilst the Suns co-captain is the team's midfield barometer towards elusive success, a number of highly skilled midfielders are making the next leap. Noah Anderson had a brilliant 2022 only missing one game, averaging 26.1 disposals and 5.6 clearances. The former number two pick's creativity and ability to hurt the opposition by foot gave the Suns an extra attacking midfielder. The 22-year-old's best moment came after the siren, kicking the winning goal to edge out Richmond by two points in Round 17.
After two injury hit seasons, former number one pick Matt Rowell had a strong year, proving that his midfield grunt is a key asset. Rowell played all 22 games in 2022, averaging 12.7 contested possessions and 6 clearances. His hard at it physical presence would allow for Anderson, Miller, David Swallow, Lachie Weller, and Brandon Ellis to punish the opposition on the outside.
Having got off to a slow start in 2022, Swallow began to play his best football by the season's midway point. Ultimately, the former co-captain went on to have a solid season averaging 20.1 disposals. Ellis meanwhile had a solid season averaging 21.9 disposals spending the majority of the year in the midfield before moving to half-back late due to Wil Powell's season-ending ankle injury.
Ruckman Jarrod Witts as always will provide hardness with his tackling, quick clearances and finesse ruck work to give his midfielders first use.
When Ben King went down with an ACL last pre-season, who was going to kick the Suns' goals was the topic of discussion. They found their answer in Mabior Chol and Levi Casboult.
Chol, who crossed over from Richmond for more opportunities, had a career-year kicking 44 goals, including a career-high five goals against West Coast. The 26-year-old's impact was significant, only being held goalless twice. With King to return, the tandem of the athletic pair is going to be an tough task for opposition's backs. Having been delisted by Carlton at the end of 2021, Casboult made an immediate impact for his new club kicking 20 goals in the first 9 games, but may find it harder to maintain minutes in the side with King set to return.
Although Izak Rankine's departure back home to South Australia is a significant loss, but the Suns still have a solid forward group. Ben Ainsworth consistently performs, booting 25 goals as he continues to provide tackling pressure and hits the scoreboard. While Jack Lukosius looks primed to take his game to the next level after a 13 game season in 2022.
Nick Holman kicked a career-high 16 goals in 2022 as he continues to be serviceable up forward, while emerging small Malcom Rosas has plenty of opportunity following the departure of Rankine.
B: Connor Budarick, Sam Collins, Charlie Ballard
HB: Wil Powell, Mac Andrew, Ben Long
C: Brandon Ellis, Noah Anderson, Lachie Weller
HF: Ben Ainsworth, Ben King, Jack Lukosius
F: Malcolm Rosas, Mabior Chol, Nick Holman
Foll: Jarrod Witts, Touk Miller, Matt Rowell
I/C: David Swallow, Sam Flanders, Elijah Hollands, Alex Davies
SUB: Sean Lemmens