Top 5 Athletes to play for the Gold Coast

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Matchu

Matchu

Norm Smith Medallist
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Apr 12, 2007
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A bit of fun in this thread. Rank your top 5 athletes to play for the Gold Coast in any professional team sport. Your list can include anyone from the Bears (87-92), Giants/Seagulls/Chargers, Rollers, Blaze Gold Coast United, Titans and/or Suns. Here are my top 5:

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1. Scott Prince - Gold Coast Titans (2007-2012)
Games: 124
Points: 719 (32t, 293g, 5fg)
Prince had a six-year career on the Gold Coast in which he captained the Titans to two top 4 finishes and one preliminary home final. He also represented Queensland and Australia while at the Titans. Prince isn't the games record holder for the Titans but he has scored the most points for the club by far (the next best is 350+ points behind Prince). Everyone on the coast loved Princey back in the day and I think he is worthy of the top spot at this point in time.

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2. Gary Ablett Jr - Gold Coast Suns (2011-present)
Games: 79
Goals: 102
Currently in his fifth year on the Gold Coast and has been the sole captain of the Suns since day one in the AFL. He achieved something no other athlete has for a Gold Coast team when he won the league best and fairest award in 2013. Despite his individual brilliance, he has not yet been a part of a finals series with the Suns and has not played 100 games for the club. For those two reasons, I put him behind Scott Prince for now.

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3. Preston Campbell Gold Coast Chargers/Titans (1998, 2007-2011)
Games: 117
Points: 146 (19t, 35g)
Has the rare honour of being able to say he has played for more than one Gold Coast team. A Gold Coast career that spanned six years, he began and ended his career on the coast. An undersized fullback, he was a crucial part of the Titans' top 4 finishes back in the day. Perhaps his crowning achievement was the amount of work he did with the indigenous community on the Gold Coast while playing. His legacy lives on through the Indigenous All Stars game that the NRL holds each year, which was concept invented by Campbell. I have him at number 3.

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4. Roger Merrett - (Gold Coast) Bears (1988-1992)
Games: 94
Goals: 118
Revered as being one of the first really big pioneers for Aussie rules in Queensland. He is very highly regarded in Queensland footy circles and had a solid career on the coast. I put him at number 4.

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5. Jarrod Harbrow - Gold Coast Suns (2011-present)
Games: 88
Goals: 26
Currently in his fifth season with the Suns and is the games record holder for the club. He is a respected figure at the Suns and is known for his work with the Indigenous community. He is seen as a key component of the Suns' future success and has already been huge for the club. I put him at number 5.


I didn't go out of my way to choose three Indigenous players but I'm glad they made my top 5. I thought about including Jason Culina but his career on the Gold Coast wasn't significant enough IMO. Wally Lewis was a big name but he wasn't very good when he played for the Seagulls. The Rollers and Blaze didn't really have anyone worth noting. I nearly gave the fifth spot to Luke Bailey from the Titans but I feel Harbrow's performance for the Suns so far is just ahead of Bailey's Titans career.
 
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SandyToes said:
I guess the best United player would have been Adam Traore?
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Traore or Smeltz. Caravella wasn't bad either. The problem with Gold Coast United is that they only existed for three seasons and hardly any of the players lasted all three seasons. Jason Culina was the big marquee and he did captain them to the finals in their first season but they were eliminated in a home final at Robina so that was disappointing. The following season they were one game away from a Grand Final but no one really stood out that season tbh.

I was also considered putting Gold Coast Blaze's Shane Heal on the list but he wasn't very good on the coast and only last one season. I enjoyed watching him play at the Convention Centre though. Are you going to give us your top 5?

SUNS said:
Karmichael Hunt unlucky to not be in your list
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Can't tell if serious...

Although that moment in Cairns was huge, I just couldn't put him ahead of Harbrow. K only managed 45 games which is almost half the amount Harbrow has played. Can't do it. I expect Harbrow to go up that list as his career progresses. How about your top 5 SUNS?

It was interesting to discover that none of the original Titans players are still with that team. Mark Minichello and Luke Bailey both last 8 seasons which is the most of any Gold Coast athletes. A few current Titans are currently in their 7th year with the club so I guess they have a shot at reaching the 10 year milestone. Ablett is contracted until 2018 so, unless he retires, he will also reach the 8 year mark on the coast.
 
Matchu said:
Traore or Smeltz. Caravella wasn't bad either. The problem with Gold Coast United is that they only existed for three seasons and hardly any of the players lasted all three seasons. Jason Culina was the big marquee and he did captain them to the finals in their first season but they were eliminated in a home final at Robina so that was disappointing. The following season they were one game away from a Grand Final but no one really stood out that season tbh.

I was also considered putting Gold Coast Blaze's Shane Heal on the list but he wasn't very good on the coast and only last one season. I enjoyed watching him play at the Convention Centre though. Are you going to give us your top 5?


Can't tell if serious...

Although that moment in Cairns was huge, I just couldn't put him ahead of Harbrow. K only managed 45 games which is almost half the amount Harbrow has played. Can't do it. I expect Harbrow to go up that list as his career progresses. How about your top 5 SUNS?

It was interesting to discover that none of the original Titans players are still with that team. Mark Minichello and Luke Bailey both last 8 seasons which is the most of any Gold Coast athletes. A few current Titans are currently in their 7th year with the club so I guess they have a shot at reaching the 10 year milestone. Ablett is contracted until 2018 so, unless he retires, he will also reach the 8 year mark on the coast.
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He has played professional football in three codes.

I don't care about his off field indiscretions when we are talking about best athletes to play for a GC team. He is the best that has ever come through the Gold Coast SUNS or any AFL team.

Don't care enough about the other sports enough to post a top 5
 
SUNS said:
He has played professional football in three codes.

I don't care about his off field indiscretions when we are talking about best athletes to play for a GC team. He is the best that has ever come through the Gold Coast SUNS or any AFL team.

Don't care enough about the other sports enough to post a top 5
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Yes, but he only played one code on the Gold Coast. His Gold Coast stats:

Games: 45
Goals: 6

Now if you want to talk about the best athlete to play in Queensland then I think you have a really strong case. His off field indiscretions had no impact on my judgement of his Gold Coast playing career.
 
Matchu said:
Yes, but he only played one code on the Gold Coast. His Gold Coast stats:

Games: 45
Goals: 6

Now if you want to talk about the best athlete to play in Queensland then I think you have a really strong case. His off field indiscretions had no impact on my judgement of his Gold Coast playing career.
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He wasn't at his peak on the Gold Coast, nor did he dominate at the sport he played here. But he is still the best and most adaptable athlete to have played for our club. From what I understand he was one of the best at Rugby League in his career and is/was a Vice Captain in his rugby union team?
 
SandyToes said:
So Hunt isn't a candidate because the team sport he played on the Coast was AFL that he was average at best at?
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If you feel he belongs on your list then put him on your list.

SUNS said:
He wasn't at his peak on the Gold Coast, nor did he dominate at the sport he played here. But he is still the best and most adaptable athlete to have played for our club. From what I understand he was one of the best at Rugby League in his career and is/was a Vice Captain in his rugby union team?
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If you feel he belongs on your list then put him on your list. I just see it a different way.

His rugby league career was far better than his Aussie rules career.
 

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