SUNS FINDING THEIR WEIGHT FORWARD
SUNS coach Stuart Dew holds no fears his defensive pillars will be manhandled going forward after Geelong forward Tom Hawkins helped muscle the Cats to victory on Saturday night.
Gold Coast opted to send Jack Hombsch to Hawkins following the loss of Sam Collins to injury, giving up size over one of the league’s most destructive forwards in their 13.13 (91) to 9.10 (64) loss at Metricon Stadium.
But Dew said they would press on with Hombsch.
“That was a dogfight for three quarters and I think in the end big Tom up front was a bit too hard to handle,” Dew said.
SUNS coach Stuart Dew holds no fears his defensive pillars will be manhandled going forward after Geelong star Tom Hawkins helped muscle the Cats to victory over Gold Coast.
Gold Coast opted to send Jack Hombsch to Hawkins following the loss of Sam Collins to injury, giving up size over one of the league’s most destructive forwards in their 13.13 (91) to 9.10 (64) loss in front of 13,144 spectators at Metricon Stadium.
Hombsch battled bravely but was isolated on many occasions and outmanoeuvred by Hawkins, who kicked four in a contest that remained tight until the late stages of the fourth quarter.
Dew said they would press on with Hombsch, who has impressed since arriving from Port Adelaide, instead of using a larger key.
“That was a dogfight for three quarters and I think, in the end, big Tom up front was a bit too hard to handle,” Dew said. “We couldn’t get enough support down there. Jack Hombsch is maybe giving away 10 or 15 kilos. It would have been good if we had Sam Collins and a couple of trucks were going at it.
“They don’t get much bigger, so we will back Jack. He is having a really good year for us and playing good footy.
“Even if Sam is playing, or Rory (Thompson), it would be hard to beat him when he is on.
“We are happy with Jack back there; he is playing for his life and we have loved welcoming him in to the footy club and he has been pretty solid.”
Gold Coast were level with the league leaders at quartertime, just three points behind at the main break and two down at the end of the third in a spirited effort from a team that now sits at 3-7.
Dew said late goals in each term cost the team, along with the loss of Ben Ainsworth to an ankle injury.
But Dew pointed to the efforts of 19-year-old Wil Powell, who was sent to the turf after being hit late in a marking contest but played on, when summing up the contest provided by his players.
“We were right in it,” Dew said. “We let in some late goals … but we are proud of the fight. (Geelong) are top of the table for a reason; it was a good measurement for some of our lads.
“Powelly, to be able to cop one in the back, got up, played on. There isn’t much of him on the outside but he has a big heart.
“We were out-run in the end. Once Benny went down we lacked a bit of run in the last quarter.”
WE ARE PROUD OF THE FIGHT. (GEELONG) ARE TOP OF THE TABLE FOR A REASON SUNS COACH STUART DEW