Noah Anderson has wasted no time establishing himself as one of the premier midfielders of the competition in his short career.
In fact, the former No.2 pick might have already surpassed close mate - and the dux of the same draft - Matt Rowell as the Suns' most important and most impactful midfielder.
However, if this is to be the case, then Anderson must begin to elevate his game to the next level and find consistency on the road as the Suns look to break their finals drought in 2025.
Through the 2024 season, Anderson's impact on winning games was definitively tied to which venue the game took place. In 11 home games, of which the Suns won nine, Anderson averaged 31.8 disposals a game compared to 12 away games with an average of 24.4 disposals. For one of the premier upcoming midfielders, that alone is a concerning drop-off.
Exploring this deeper, Anderson averaged a tidy 12.8 contested possessions in home matches, which would rank ninth in the AFL over the course of last season. However, his 8.9 contested possessions a game in away matches would see him rank 66th in the AFL. A stark contrast between the two.
Overall, Anderson averaged 10.78 contested possessions a game, good for 26th in the league. That places him ahead of well-known scrappers like Zak Butters and Josh Dunkley. The numbers suggest that Anderson (and the Suns alike) are subdued in losses and must find a way to break through the challenges the opposition is going to throw at them, especially on the road, if they truly wish to break their finals drought.
Being such a prolific ball winner is half the challenge and one Anderson is comfortable with. The other; hitting up a target with those possessions.
The AFL average disposal efficiency sits at 73% league-wide. For Anderson's 2024 season, his figure sat at a below-average mark of 68%.
For someone who is such a driving force in one of the most devastating up-and-coming midfield, this could be seen as a cause for concern. A further dive shows that in wins that number rises up to a fraction to just under the league average at 72.3%, while losses sit at a measly 62.9%. At home, regardless of the result, it was at 70% and away, 65%. As is the theme of our findings, Anderson needs to find ways to shake the voodoo of games outside of Carrara and the Northern Territory.
While this mightn't be the full picture, as pressure and the number of contested possessions can impact the quality of disposal, it does highlight the elephant in the room that plagued Anderson and the Suns last season.
Anderson's impact goes beyond just touches though. In fact, he has the potential to be one of the most devastating players forward of centre in the league. The 2024 season ended with Anderson being ranked second for total inside 50s, with a total of 139 - good for six per game. To elevate his game to the next level, Anderson must become more precise with those entries inside 50, as he ranked in the bottom 10 for efficiency in hitting a target inside 50 for 2024.
Gold Coast boast two of the competition's most athletic and physically imposing key forwards in Ben King and Jed Walter, as well as a plethora of dynamic mid-to-small-sized forwards in Nick Holman, Bailey Humphrey, Ben Ainsworth and Co. On paper, that spells a productive forward line, and while not all fault lies in the hands of those sending the ball inside 50, some more meticulous and considered entries would go a long way into reclassifying this Gold Coast attack from productive to outright dangerous.
Anderson has also established himself as a goalkicking threat, having kicked 42 goals already in his 104-game career. Unsurprisingly, 31 of these have come in the 54 home games he has played, and a meagre 11 goals in the 50 away games. Another indication of his struggles away from home.
The Suns' 2023 best and fairest winner hasn't shone away from the bright lights in the past though, as evidenced by his game-winning goal in 2022 against Richmond, however, it is clear that his game hasn't travelled as well with him just yet.
We mustn't forget that Anderson is still only 23 years old and has yet to enter his prime. He already has 58 Brownlow votes to his name, putting him third all-time at the Suns behind only Gary Ablett and Touk Miller. He polled 22 votes in 2023, making him the third Sun to ever accomplish the feat.
While this write-up highlights much of what has maligned Anderson (and the Suns) so far, it is a testament to how great he has been in the early stages of his career and what he can achieve with greater consistency throughout a season.
