SUN TO SET
ON the eve of Gold Coast’s eighth season in the AFL, tall forward Peter Wright says the Suns are starting from scratch.
Big changes to the administration, football department and playing style have convinced Wright the Suns cleanse has the club moving finally moving forward.
“With the amount of changes we have had at ... it feels a lot fresher,” he said.
“It feels like we are starting from scratch again. It’s really exciting from a player’s point of view and holistically as a club.”
New coach Stuart Dew headlines the changes with the former Sydney assistant the third to step in to the role.
Dew has brought with him the contested and high pressure game style made famous by the Swans – and Wright is already a fan.
“It’s the type of footy that keeps you in contests with a full 18-man offence and defence,” Wright said.
“It’s based around contest and transition and it will keep us in games longer. Even if we are breaking down across half-forward or turn the ball over, the way we transition will stop teams scoring against us and when it clicks we will be dangerous.
“It’s something I haven’t been very good at in the past but I got a lot better at it last year and will look to improve again this year. As talls it’s our role to get our hands dirty as well, not just make a contest but do follow-up work.”
It’s a big adjustment for a team that has traditionally struggled to lock the ball inside their rivals’ backline.