Dawson’s treat Young Sun poised for clash with Collingwood
JACOB Dawson doesn’t have to try too hard to imagine his first game at Metricon Stadium, he’s probably watched the Suns play there as much as anyone at the club.
Dawson became the sixth Palm Beach-Currumbin High School graduate to make his AFL debut for the Suns when he ran out against Hawthorn in Launceston last week.
After a solid first-up effort he should hold his spot this week against Collingwood in what has traditionally been the club’s biggest game of the year.
The crowd record of 24, 032, the stadium’s only ever sellout for an AFL match, was against the Pies in 2014 — a game made famous by the shoulder injury that cost Gary Ablett close to two years of footy and potentially a third Brownlow Medal. Dawson’s wish was to get any game in his first season but admits a close second was to play against the Pies.
“I was always looking ahead and wanting to play in that game,’’ he said.
“The last few weeks I was getting closer and I was lucky enough to get picked last week.
“I can’t wait, it has always been the biggest game of the year at Metricon and hopefully a few of my friends and family and people I’ve played footy with along the Gold Coast can get along.’’
The inside midfielder was Geelong crazy and a huge Gary Ablett fan as a kid but became a foundation Suns member when they entered the competition and the Little Master joined as the foundation captain. He has been in Gold Coast’s academy since he was 13-years-old and, along with Brayden Crossley, is the first Suns player to spend most of their childhood dreaming of playing for the club.
While the Hawks robbed him of a win on debut with their 53-point victory, he says the day will always be a memory he cherishes.
“It was a dream come true, growing up on the Coast as soon as the club came in it was where I wanted to end up,’’ he said. FORMER Manunda Hawk Milton Miskin is keeping the folks at Sporting Pulse busy.
He has applied for an AFL Queensland transfer between five different teams over the last few months. He started the season at Hawks, transferred to the indigenous and South Pacific All Stars for the representative game, then to Caloundra, transferred back to AFL Cairns with Pyramid Power. And, then in the last week he has a pending transfer to AFL Capricornia. He is a good player, but he must be sick of filling out all this paperwork.
■ SOUTH Queensland has named another strong squad for the annual game against North.
Ryan Holman is a massive inclusion this year as he comes with state representative experience as well as over 100 NEAFL matches with Morningside and Aspley. They boast further AFL experience with Springwood livewire Rhan Hooper set to play in his first intrastate representative game after 54 AFL games at Brisbane and Hawthorn. Former Centrals Trinity Beach Bulldog, Jayden Holt, now playing at Noosa has also been named.
■ PROMISING AFL Cairns juniors Daniel Davidson and Brandon Deslandes will go to Melbourne this weekend for a Futures Series match-up against Tasmania.
The Queensland side will play against the Apple Isle’s team on July 2 at Arden Street, home of North Melbourne, before returning to Queensland to face NSW/ACT at Fankhauser Reserve on July 9.
Gold Coast Academy head coach, Andrew Raines, and Brisbane Lions Academy head coach, Josh Hunt will share coaching duties.
■ THE moment a player bent down to tie an opponent’s shoelaces in Townsville has touched the hearts of footy fans across Australia.
Cameras captured a Hermit Park player tying the shoelaces of an opponent with a disability. AFL Townsville’s Hermit Park Tigers and Northern Beaches Suns’ reserve grade teams then ensured the player booted a goal.