BRAB
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- Oct 20, 2014
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Round 20 sees us taking our yearly trip down the M1 to face a Gold Coast SUNS side who once again are in somewhat of an identity crisis. Michael Whiting discussed this game as potentially huge for both clubs, with a potential top 4 spot on the line for us and a top 8 spot on the line for the Suns. Our win last week came at a great cost, but has essentially locked in a top 4 spot for us, whilst the SUNS have drifted further away from a top 8 spot with a massive shift in form required for Finals to be in any way realistic from this point moving forward.
That being said, there is still plenty on the line for both sides, with the dangers of a trip to Nerang squarely on the minds of lions fans and players alike. The trip to Heritage Bank stadium is still the most dangerous trip in football, and the SUNS will be hoping to extend this danger on to the field in a fixture that they have not won since 2016.
A few key talking points for us this week.
1. Dunkley's Defensive Brilliance
Josh Dunkley was the perfect recruit for our club last season and his return after his two week stint with injury accentuated this. Dunkley has been an incredible addition to our side this year and will again be important in this final stretch of the season.
His setup at this stoppage helps us immensely in quelling the gun mids of the comp as this article from the Roar I will now plagiarise points out:
You can read more about it here, but Dunks is such an important addition to the side and has played a huge part in improving our midfield this season. Alongside Will Ashcroft, our midfield depth is now very strong.
Footy Fix: Brisbane's midfield is even better than you thought - and it's not just Neale who tore the Tigers a new one
Stats can often flatter to deceive when it comes to AFL games, but sometimes, like in Brisbane's utter dismantling of Richmond at the Gabba,…
www.theroar.com.au
On that though, I've got some bad news for you all.
2. Will Ashcroft: Heartbroken
In the worst injury news for the club since our last gun youngster did his ACL, Ashcroft is out for the season and most of next with an ACL injury. This is an absolute heartbreaker that has really hurt us in the short term and long term.
This game will represent an opportunity for us to test how we will fill the hole left by Ashcroft's absence for the rest of the season and into 2024. It is a testament to his ability and dedication to his craft that we are having this conversation about a first year player.
Option 1: Return of Lyons
The great Nunez pointed out a fortnight ago that Jarryd Lyons may well be the best midfield depth in the league and it is hard to disagree with that sentiment at all. Lyons did a respectable job replacing Dunkley a fortnight ago and has obviously been tearing it up in the VFL all season. Whilst the VFL is nowhere near the quality of the NEAFL, it is still an impressive achievement for Jarryd.
Lyons does have some obvious deficiencies with regards to his transition work from stoppage and many would suggest that a midfield of Neale, Lyons and Dunkley is not well balanced. People who admit to not watching the VFL at all disagree, so we will see what the coaches decide.
Option 2: Rise of Robertson
If we believe in Dev's future as an inside midfielder, this seems like the moment for Dev. He also has a much greater capacity to run and could potentially replace Will's role in the team. Dev has been a bit underwhelming in his role as a forward mid, but I'd love to see him in a full time mid role at some point before finals.
This is the option I'd go with.
Option 3: Replacing one with many
Our next option would be to share Will's midfield minutes among Rayner, Zorko and Bailey. We could supplement this with a player like Cockatoo as well. There is benefits to this approach as well; Bailey seemed to be hitting form before he was injured and Rayner can be impactful when he is in the middle. Bailey could be injured for another week and Zorko is in patchy form at best, so I'm not sure if this is a go this week.
Option 4: Unleash Berry
We could send Berry into the middle for the rest of the season and put another player on the wing. I suspect we may try this later on in the season but I don't think Berry has the durability to go like that for another 9 games potentially. May hold off until later in the season.
Option 5: Levi Ashcroft
There is technically not law in the AFL rulebook that says that Levi Ashcroft cannot play football.
Our midfield isn't the only area that we will be thinking about this weekend however.
3. God King Gunston: How many more can he kick?
Jack Gunston has returned to the team in a decision lauded by all on Bigfooty. He seemed to settle in to a role last week and make an impact as a marking option up and down the wing. He looked very smooth all night and his running capacity has improved as well.
There are still some question marks about the three tall setup but if the King continues to thrive, all those who oppose him will have to bow down before his brilliance. Gunston to kick another 10 this week.
The Opposition
As a SUNS sympathiser for 21 games of the season, it has been another frustrating season culminating in the sacking of Stewy Dew. The SUNS do have some dangerous weapons and have the capacity to push us hard. It is hard to narrow down their issues as they seem to have a lot of top end talent on their list, but I suspect time and a coaching change will eventually bring success for them. They need to win this one to remain a remote chance of making finals this season, but I do expect us to put the final nail in their coffin this week with a relatively comfortable win.
Touk Miller is a good bloke and I hope Zorko isn't too mean to him this week as he comes to terms with being a worse player.
Final Predictions
I think we will see a tight first half before we kick away in the final quarter. Gunston to win the Marcus Ashcroft medal with a 10 goal performance.
Lions by 36
I will now finish this preview with a safety PSA around travelling to the Gold Coast.
Your trip to the Gold Coast: Staying Safe
You have several options for a safe and productive trip to the Gold Coast
1. Public Transport
This will involve getting off at the Nerang Station and taking a shuttle bus to the stadium. The walk also isn't that far to the stadium. You may be threatened by the locals, know that this is their love language and that they mean no harm. You may even be interacting with me.
2. Drive
This is a great option, simply park in a resident's driveway. The Gold Coast is a wonderfully welcoming place and this is common practice throughout our great city.
3. Armed Escort
This is the preferred option and the one I would recommend for all Lions fans.
Regardless of your travel choice, simply avoid the following areas on your journey to stay safe:
Enjoy the game and the wonderful city of the Gold Coast!
