Club Focus Gold Coast 2020 - Atkins, Markov, Hollands

AFL Club Focus

Do they still need the pick 19 priority pick in 2021?

  • Yes

    Votes: 7 15.9%
  • No

    Votes: 37 84.1%

  • Total voters
    44
Gold Coast club focus thread
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Data from footywire. To check the draft order (updated weekly) see the thread here.
 
Jul 13, 2012
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Adelaide
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and with some more luck, they might have had 5 or 6 wins on the board before injury ruined their season. They have lots of kids meaning they lack depth. With a heap of 1st round talent already on their list - the very point GHil made last year in not awarding a PP, they will be fine - just need to get the right structures in place behind the scenes and get that footy department firing and reduce injuries. If they only had faith in their own list it has potential to go places

Ah yes injuries ruined their season, not the fact that they were a basket case and couldnt score.

Gold Coast had a bad injury run this year too just btw.
 
Jul 6, 2017
28,331
37,668
AFL Club
Adelaide
Ah yes injuries ruined their season, not the fact that they were a basket case and couldnt score.

Gold Coast had a bad injury run this year too just btw.
What I mean is they won 3 games but lost a few others by the barest of margins. Their 1st 22 is competitive but once they lost players from there to injury the lack of depth showed as they were asking inexperienced players to fill holes. The AFL know how much top end talent they already have and they will know that earlier on they were competitive..just need a few more things to go right. Don't forget this year they will add one of Anderson or Rowell who should slot straight in and they have Brisbane's 1st rounder so there are 2 more 1st round picks to be added to the squad
 
Jul 6, 2017
28,331
37,668
AFL Club
Adelaide
Those things already pose several problems to the integrity to draft, but at least they are pre-existing elements of the draft, something clubs can prepare for.
PP’s is the AFL directly manipulating the draft, and this comes after they basically said that 1st rd PP’s we’re going to be a thing of the past.
interesting sliding doors on the AFL site. Backs up what has been said industry wise that the clubs are dead set against a PP being given at the pointy end

Gold Coast Suns



Ifthe Suns get what they want, and what some at the AFL believe they need - the first two picks in the national draft (their own ladder-position pick as well as an AFL commission-granted priority selection) ...
thenthere will be an outcry like we've never before seen from other clubs.
 

Jirik13

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 22, 2018
8,176
10,758
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Just love it when Crows fans reminds everybody that Suns had a horrible run with injuries and without injuries they would have more wins. Exactly what I say. You should write for Melbourne media as nobody in Melbourne cares and never reports about reasons why Suns struggle or what is current situation there.

Once you mention Barrett as a source you lose all credibility. Personally, Callum Twomey is probably the only journalist in Melbourne who is objective about Suns. He actually took time and spent a week with Suns this year. Just listen or read some of his work about Suns if you care. I have just listened to his latest Road to Draft episode. Min 25 - about fantastic Suns environment and how much Lukosius, King and Rankine love it there, Min 35 - PP1 situation - him talking to AFL insiders - more and more think Suns will get it. I certainly believe more Callum reporting than Barrett or Crows fans. Callum also was on Suns fan podcast and predicted that Lukosius will sign in a near future. For what is worth Lions CEO Swann recently also supported PP1 for Suns combined with other assistance to turn it around quickly.

5 month ago I would say no way Suns get PP1. Now with 17 losses in a row it's a perfect storm and stupid VFL will probably give it to them.

On the basket case. You could say that about Suns for on-field results for sure but then you know there are objective reasons like injuries :) Off-field I would argue Suns got now most things right. Regarding Crows just read you own threads about your club current situation and future.

I am actually a little bit piss off with Crows as Suns did help you beating Carlton in round 4 to get better pick and I predicted you will finish top 4 but then you had to unravel even with one of the best injury list and the easiest schedule.
 
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Cleric

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 14, 2011
14,845
16,713
Adelaide
AFL Club
Adelaide
I just love how GC supporters on here are telling us how stuffed their club is and how that vindicates Pick 1 as a PP, yet none are going into how their club stuffed it up by themselves and what they need to do to fix it. Its all 100% everyone else's problem and they must get free top kids to fix it.
Brisbane got an end of first round PP and couldnt keep young kids at the club with the go home five etc. A couple of years later and they are on top of the ladder with one of the most exciting teams in the AFL which should see them playing finals for years to come. GC on the other hand are special and need even more freebies than Brisbane, and for sure Carlton got.
 

Johnny Bananas

Premiership Player Hater
Sep 10, 2010
12,674
17,002
Next door
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Brisbane got an end of first round PP and couldnt keep young kids at the club with the go home five etc. A couple of years later and they are on top of the ladder with one of the most exciting teams in the AFL which should see them playing finals for years to come. GC on the other hand are special and need even more freebies than Brisbane, and for sure Carlton got.
They do need more. They weren't set up properly and have been repeatedly neglected by the AFL. They don't have the history of success of the Lions, the veterans, the culture and until recently they had far worse facilities too.

While you're here, got any more garbage rumours, like Rankine being unhappy and running back to Adelaide at the first opportunity?
 
Sep 28, 2011
19,391
18,282
Melbourne
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Other Teams
Arsenal
interesting sliding doors on the AFL site. Backs up what has been said industry wise that the clubs are dead set against a PP being given at the pointy end

Gold Coast Suns



Ifthe Suns get what they want, and what some at the AFL believe they need - the first two picks in the national draft (their own ladder-position pick as well as an AFL commission-granted priority selection) ...
thenthere will be an outcry like we've never before seen from other clubs.
Hitting the bottom of the barrel when you are quoting Damien Barrett. Loves sticking the boot into us whenever he gets a chance, up there with Micheal Warner as having a real hate boner for the Suns.

I just love how GC supporters on here are telling us how stuffed their club is and how that vindicates Pick 1 as a PP, yet none are going into how their club stuffed it up by themselves and what they need to do to fix it. Its all 100% everyone else's problem and they must get free top kids to fix it.
Brisbane got an end of first round PP and couldnt keep young kids at the club with the go home five etc. A couple of years later and they are on top of the ladder with one of the most exciting teams in the AFL which should see them playing finals for years to come. GC on the other hand are special and need even more freebies than Brisbane, and for sure Carlton got.

These clubs have history of success, culture and history to build upon, we were introduced in 2011 as a club, with substandard people (who the AFL put in charge) and substandard facilities training out of sheds, which would defiantly effect the morale of players heading into work day after day and would defiantly hurt the prospects of retaining talent. (FWIW if Carlton weren't based in Melbourne I imagine they would be in a similar position to us).

Now, it is remiss of me to think the Suns have done nothing wrong. We have made multiple missteps, (trading and drafting, wrong people to elected top positions) but to think we have brought this all upon ourselves and the club itself is 100% to blame is silly, the blame should be partitioned across both the AFL and the Club.

The AFL in its infinite wisdom deciding to give the 2 start up clubs unequal start up concessions (what we were given was fair enough and we screwed it up, but there is no denying GWS had the better of it), setting us up and going don't worry about new facilities, wait till 2018 in 7 years to get those professional surrounding, you could argue the damage was already done on that part. The general governship that the league put in place to get the club off the ground was questionable (untried coach, questionable captaincy choice), especially when a year later when GWS got a year to see how we did it and how to improve on it, I will be infinitely jealous of our Giants comrades who have a club that was set up so perfect from the get go with leaders and a coach in Sheedy who is a legend of the game, over a bloke who recently got binned off as an assistant at Essendon and now coaches cricket.

I have said many a time, I don't want pick 1, I'd rather get some extra salary cap to pay a few veterans (30+ year old players) to settle the onfield leadership in, I love what Swallow and Wittsy are doing but they need help. The only problem is, ol Gil has ruled that out, I imagine from fear of clubs blowing a lid because of it. TBH whatever the AFL do it won't be popular, because for all intention purposes the general community have written us off and want us playing out of Tasmania (but I'm not going on a rant about that).

Whatever assistance the AFL give will be met with ire and general anger. This has been basically us hitting the reset button and was year 1 all over again.

The club need to get this right, and I imagine the AFL will want us to get it right, especially now that they have their man, Mark Evans, a proven operator overseeing this reset, so I imagine the assistance will be substantial, whether the wider public likes it or not.
 
AFL website has an article about players who are still out-of-contract as of this morning. Links are to player threads if we have one for 2019.

Out of contract: Callum Ah Chee, Brayden Crossley, Jacob Dawson, Sam Fletcher, Jacob Heron, Nick Holman, Jack Leslie, Jack Martin, Tom Nicholls, Connor Nutting, Mitch Riordan, Brad Scheer, Harrison Wigg

"Martin is the high-profile name among this crop and has interest from Essendon, Carton and the Western Bulldogs, but could yet stay. Holman, Heron and Dawson are all likely to earn fresh deals. Fletcher, who was recruited in the pre-season supplemental selection period, and mid-season draftee Riordan would be hopeful of the same. It's unclear where the talented Ah Chee sits as he recovers from season-ending ankle surgery, while Crossley is provisionally suspended after testing positive to a banned substance. Wigg, who missed the season because of a knee injury, will have to wait to find out about his future, but Leslie, Nicholls, Nutting and Scheer face an uphill battle to remain."

 

OB11

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 4, 2010
6,706
10,351
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Other Teams
76ers
At the end of the day the AFL have a business to run and getting GC Suns up and running with a PP will take priority over the Crows and Melbourne recruiters pissing their pants.

I don't believe the AFL gaf what the recruiters and by extension the other club's football departments want. The decisions to award equalisation concessions will be made based on what puts more monies in AFL coffers - a viable GC Suns club or the "integrity" of live trading.

Cal Twomey stated on his most recent podcast that he was hearing in AFL circles that people felt it was more likely than not that the Suns would get the PP. Take that for what you will.
 

scratchy09

Cancelled
Aug 25, 2019
153
83
AFL Club
Collingwood
If Gold Coast get pick 2, that really pisses of Melbourne as they lose out Rowell/Anderson. Gold Coast could still use help however. I'd suggest either making it so that for this season only, they can sign academy players without having to go to the draft and/or giving them and end of first round compensation pick. However, Gold Coast should try and trade for the 2nd pick from Melbourne anyway so they can pair the two up. Maybe a straight swap for their 2020 1st or a few lower picks and some decent players for pick 2.
 

OB11

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 4, 2010
6,706
10,351
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Other Teams
76ers
Signingt players rated 50-100 in this draft does sweet FA to fixing the problem - that is like giving someone a band aid for an amputated arm.

All the Demons need to fix their problems is for the AFL to pay Goodwin out. He is Mark Neeld level bad.
 

scratchy09

Cancelled
Aug 25, 2019
153
83
AFL Club
Collingwood
Signingt players rated 50-100 in this draft does sweet FA to fixing the problem - that is like giving someone a band aid for an amputated arm

Every little bit helps however. Also, isn't Budarick a 1st round prospect. Gold Coast aren't a basket case as many think and have the pieces in place. Brisbane were as bad off a few years ago and look at them now. Giving them the 2nd pick is excessive and disadvantages other clubs at the pointy end.
 

OB11

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 4, 2010
6,706
10,351
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Other Teams
76ers
Every little bit helps however. Also, isn't Budarick a 1st round prospect. Gold Coast aren't a basket case as many think and have the pieces in place. Brisbane were as bad off a few years ago and look at them now. Giving them the 2nd pick is excessive and disadvantages other clubs at the pointy end.

Little bit doesn't help, we need a lot.

Budarick is 175cm and not quick.

It's worth a debate but ultimately is dependent on what the AFL want to do. The fact that 1 & 2 are best friends and would likely stay together on the GC is a fact not lost on either the AFL or the Suns
 

scratchy09

Cancelled
Aug 25, 2019
153
83
AFL Club
Collingwood
Little bit doesn't help, we need a lot.

Budarick is 175cm and not quick.

It's worth a debate but ultimately is dependent on what the AFL want to do. The fact that 1 & 2 are best friends and would likely stay together on the GC is a fact not lost on either the AFL or the Suns

I think you are better off then you realise. Brisbane were in a similar situation 3-4 years ago and look at them now. That alone makes me feel like and end of first round pick (which you can trade) and letting academy prospects through the backdoor is enough.

In saying that, I personally think you guys should use some of those assets to trade for pick 2 itself. If the AFL were to just hand you the 2nd pick, then it directly affects whoever is shortly after (2-5 range). If you however can get a package together for the second pick, that makes it much fairer on Melbourne as a club as they receive a better value, and it doesn't affect any clubs after Melbourne.
 

Jirik13

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 22, 2018
8,176
10,758
AFL Club
Gold Coast
I think you are better off then you realise. Brisbane were in a similar situation 3-4 years ago and look at them now. That alone makes me feel like and end of first round pick (which you can trade) and letting academy prospects through the backdoor is enough.

In saying that, I personally think you guys should use some of those assets to trade for pick 2 itself. If the AFL were to just hand you the 2nd pick, then it directly affects whoever is shortly after (2-5 range). If you however can get a package together for the second pick, that makes it much fairer on Melbourne as a club as they receive a better value, and it doesn't affect any clubs after Melbourne.
You do realise that AFL as a competition is not fair. Check out PPs at the beginning of first round awarded to Melbourne clubs up until 2009. Was it fair for Melbourne receiving PP1 and drafting Scully with it in 2009 or for that matter Collingwood drafting Dale Thomas with PP2 in 2005? Or check out how many farther/son recruits Suns got vs Melbourne clubs or how about to compare NGA recruits vs Suns academy recruits the last year. AFL can't afford to have Suns stay at the bottom long-term from broadcast/commercial point hence assistance needed.
 

HTPunter

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 27, 2014
10,795
14,995
AFL Club
North Melbourne
For all the talk of 'fairness' about a PP from Crows fans - would they even be in contention for a finals spot today if they had only 1 game v the Suns like the Hawks did? If we don't have a fair fixture, where some teams play a historically bad team twice and others once, then does fairness come into a decision like a PP?
 

HTPunter

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 27, 2014
10,795
14,995
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Signingt players rated 50-100 in this draft does sweet FA to fixing the problem - that is like giving someone a band aid for an amputated arm.

I'd say further to this - surely signing guys that are borderline AFL quality just for 'professional standards' is an experiment that can be over.

Rosa, Barlow, GHS, Miles, C.Ellis.

Unless they are genuinely being held back by their former club (Witts - tough ruck battle), it's not worthy getting in a pile of C graders. They don't help win games and I'd be astonished if they really are setting the standard.
 
Sep 28, 2011
19,391
18,282
Melbourne
AFL Club
Gold Coast
Other Teams
Arsenal
I'd say further to this - surely signing guys that are borderline AFL quality just for 'professional standards' is an experiment that can be over.

Rosa, Barlow, GHS, Miles, C.Ellis.

Unless they are genuinely being held back by their former club (Witts - tough ruck battle), it's not worthy getting in a pile of C graders. They don't help win games and I'd be astonished if they really are setting the standard.
My thinking exactly, if they aren't easily best 22 players in our team, there is no point.
 

HTPunter

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 27, 2014
10,795
14,995
AFL Club
North Melbourne
What's their ideal team in 3 years?

Collins, Thompson, Ballard
Joyce, Lemmens, ******?

Witts
Miller, Swallow, Bowes, Weller, Brodie, Fiorini

Wright, B.King, Lukiosus
Rankine, Ainsworth, Sexton

Bench/depth: MacPherson, Corbett, Hombsch, Burgess, C.Ellis, Day, Powell, Graham, McLennan, Nutting, Schoenfield

Possible draftees: Anderson & Rowell*, 2020 top 3 pick, Budarick

Possible trades: J.Martin, Ah Chee

Gone: Miles, GHS, Hanley (retire), Harbrow (retire), Nicholls, Young, Murdoch, Crossley

I'd expect some of Corbett, Hombsch, Burgess, Ellis, and the recent draftees (Nutting, McLennan, Graham) to not make it, and be gone. Maybe 3-4 of those. Just in terms of statistical likelihood of nailing a draft and keeping similar players on a list.
 

scratchy09

Cancelled
Aug 25, 2019
153
83
AFL Club
Collingwood
You do realise that AFL as a competition is not fair. Check out PPs at the beginning of first round awarded to Melbourne clubs up until 2009. Was it fair for Melbourne receiving PP1 and drafting Scully with it in 2009 or for that matter Collingwood drafting Dale Thomas with PP2 in 2005? Or check out how many farther/son recruits Suns got vs Melbourne clubs or how about to compare NGA recruits vs Suns academy recruits the last year. AFL can't afford to have Suns stay at the bottom long-term from broadcast/commercial point hence assistance needed.

Crows who have the third pick earned that via a trade so yes, it is fair they receive that pick. Priority picks in the AFL back in the 2000s were a joke. I guess maybe this is fair to hand Gold Coast the 2nd pick but it should be a one off as they are both mates and likely to stay.
 

Happy Idiot

All Australian
Oct 12, 2011
809
1,810
Gold Coast
AFL Club
Gold Coast
In saying that, I personally think you guys should use some of those assets to trade for pick 2 itself. If the AFL were to just hand you the 2nd pick, then it directly affects whoever is shortly after (2-5 range). If you however can get a package together for the second pick, that makes it much fairer on Melbourne as a club as they receive a better value, and it doesn't affect any clubs after Melbourne.
The problem with this, and both the Suns/AFL know it, is Melbourne would keep the second pick at all costs knowing they are in pole position to pick up (a year or two later) whichever of Rowell/Anderson ends up at the Suns.

I think the pairing of these kids is the most logical way of shielding the Suns from a worse retention problem in the short term.
 

Johnny Bananas

Premiership Player Hater
Sep 10, 2010
12,674
17,002
Next door
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Every little bit helps however.
No it doesn't. Half-arsed assistance has a good chance of providing nothing tangible to help, while giving everyone opposed to assistance for struggling clubs something to point to and say "look, they got help! They don't need any more help, it's been tried and they're just too incompetent to take advantage of it!".

Also, isn't Budarick a 1st round prospect.
Not a single major draft watcher thinks that. Go to the Phantom Draft board and check the rankings.

Gold Coast aren't a basket case as many think and have the pieces in place. Brisbane were as bad off a few years ago and look at them now.
Brisbane also have one of the most respected coaches in the game, one of the most competent football managers in the game and a plethora of young talent hitting the beginning of their prime years. That stuff doesn't grow on trees. We also had the good fortune that an emerging superstar was from Brisbane and demanded a trade home. That isn't likely to happen for Gold Coast anytime soon.
 

Jirik13

Norm Smith Medallist
Jan 22, 2018
8,176
10,758
AFL Club
Gold Coast
What's their ideal team in 3 years?

Collins, Thompson, Ballard
Joyce, Lemmens, ******?

Witts
Miller, Swallow, Bowes, Weller, Brodie, Fiorini

Wright, B.King, Lukiosus
Rankine, Ainsworth, Sexton

Bench/depth: MacPherson, Corbett, Hombsch, Burgess, C.Ellis, Day, Powell, Graham, McLennan, Nutting, Schoenfield

Possible draftees: Anderson & Rowell*, 2020 top 3 pick, Budarick

Possible trades: J.Martin, Ah Chee

Gone: Miles, GHS, Hanley (retire), Harbrow (retire), Nicholls, Young, Murdoch, Crossley

I'd expect some of Corbett, Hombsch, Burgess, Ellis, and the recent draftees (Nutting, McLennan, Graham) to not make it, and be gone. Maybe 3-4 of those. Just in terms of statistical likelihood of nailing a draft and keeping similar players on a list.
It could be something like:

McLennan, Thompson, Ballard
Weller, Collins, Ah Chee (if he stays)
Powell, Brodie, Ainsworth
Witts, Swallow, Rowell
Anderson (if PP1 2019), Rankine, Wright
Sexton, King, Lukosius
INT: Fiorini, Macpherson, Bowes, top 5 pick 2020

Depth: Miller, Day, Hombsh, Burgess, Corbett, Graham, Holman, Lemmens , Miles, Joyce, Crossley, Davies (academy 2020), Budarick (academy 2019), 1st round picks 19/20/21, trades
 

scratchy09

Cancelled
Aug 25, 2019
153
83
AFL Club
Collingwood
The problem with this, and both the Suns/AFL know it, is Melbourne would keep the second pick at all costs knowing they are in pole position to pick up (a year or two later) whichever of Rowell/Anderson ends up at the Suns.

I think the pairing of these kids is the most logical way of shielding the Suns from a worse retention problem in the short term.

Yeah that is why I have changed my tune on it. You have two best friends who are clear top 2 talents. This year makes perfect sense to help Gold Coast.
 
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