THE YEAR OF THE RISING SUNS
Dimma set to brighten up Gold Coast’s prospects JON RALPH and GLENN McFARLANE take a look at the Gold Coast Suns list for 2024
NOAH ANDERSON 89
If you could only take one of Anderson or Touk Miller, who would it be? This kid is a star with the footy world at his feet. What can’t he do? He’s an elite midfielder who wins the ball at will (26.9 touches a game last year), kicks goals (14 in 2023), racks up clearances (6.4 a game) and wins it outside as well (473 metres gained a game). Can drag this team into finals in 2024.
TOUK MILLER 89
The brilliant onballer returned to his tagging days late last season after making his comeback from a knee injury, adding another string to his bow as Damien Hardwick arrives on the scene. Can he still win 25-plus possessions while cutting the head off the snake? He’s an irrepressible and inspirational leader who tackles, runs both ways and wins clearances at will.
MATT ROWELL 82
Wants to develop an outside game, but if he doesn’t and only averages 7.7 clearances and 8.3 tackles a game what a footballer he will be. They were his numbers last year as he finished third in the best and fairest behind Anderson and Sam Collins. Still believe he can double his goal output after only seven in 2023.
JARROD WITTS 81
Posted a top-five best-andfairest finish last season after averaging 40 hit-outs, including 12 to advantage. Still keen to hold the young rucks like Ned Moyle and now Ethan Read at bay. He also averaged an impressive 4.3 clearances and 106 ranking points last year and will give this elite midfield service on a silver platter once more.
CHARLIE BALLARD 80
The Suns’ defensive mainstay and still has so much elite football ahead of him at age 24. He averaged 3.6 intercept marks across the 2023 season. With Mac Andrew and Ethan Read pushing for spots, his job can only get easier as the Suns build a strong defensive core.
BEN KING 79
If King wants to be a star of the game he will need to learn to play through soreness and off serious injuries and get involved in team defence when nothing is going his way. He couldn’t do that at times in 2023, but still kicked 40 goals. Has a ludicrous amount of talent and will cash in on it this year if his body remains sound. Lock in 60-plus goals as he bounces back hard.
JACK LUKOSIUS 74
The chief affliction of Lukosius is that he looks so frustratingly casual at times that you wonder if he is maximising his talent. But he is what he is – a 195cm tall forward who plays like a goalsneak setting up teammates and kicking 39.22 in his breakout season last year. The question is, how hungry is he to become a regular 50-goal forward as a match-up nightmare for opposition sides? Still only 23, he can be anything.
SAM COLLINS 73
Like all full backs he can be beaten by elite delivery to leading forwards, but what a find he has been as a hard-charging defender for the Suns after his delisting at Fremantle then a season in the VFL. Averaged 7.7 spoils and 2.7 intercept marks in 2023 and only turns 30 in June. Finished second in the bestand-fairest last year, ahead of Rowell, Ballard and Witts.
MAC ANDREW 70
Might one day be the game’s best interceptor. How quickly can he get there? In his second season last year, the top-10 pick won 2.4 intercepts a game at only 19 years of age. Can he now build on that base and win more footy, after averaging only 11 touches a game? Absolutely. But Ethan Read will be coming for his spot, too.
WIL POWELL 70
One of footy’s most underrated players, the cheeky and effervescent Powell had an exceptional year coming off a gruesome ankle injury. Finished ninth in the best-andfairest after playing 18 games, averaging 20 possessions and an excellent 2.4 intercept marks. This 24-year-old is a serious player.
SAM FLANDERS 69
Keep your eyes on Flanders, a much-hyped player early in 2023 who only featured in four senior games to round 15 before going on a late-season tear. In his final 10 outings he had five 100-point ranking games, including 36 possessions against Carlton. Backing him to start the season in similar fashion.
JED WALTER 68
Every recruiter believes he is AFL-ready given his hulking physique, tackle-first ethos and strong junior pedigree dominating his final year before AFL. The No.3 pick will still find it a significant jump playing on fully grown men, but we will back the recruiters who say he will hit the ground running.
DAVID SWALLOW 67
Cranked out a topeight best-and-fairest result last season. While he doesn’t rack it up like in the old days, he is such a powerful, tough midfielder and is still highly regarded inside Suns headquarters. He played every game in 2023 and will believe he is very capable of warding off the youngsters keen to steal midfield time off him as a 31year-old.
BAILEY HUMPHREY 66
Exploded on to the scene last season with a highlights reel that was mind-blowing, but after a non-existent pre-season he did fade towards the end of his debut year. Still played 19 games. Now after only two goals in his final nine games (he kicked 11 goals in total) he needs a monster summer to set up an even better 2024 season.
DARCY MACPHERSON 65
All credit to the former small forward, who reinvented himself as a running defender. He played every game in 2023, averaging 19 possessions and 71 ranking points. A busy, clever backman who has extracted every bit of talent from his frame. Finished seventh in the club’s best and fairest last year.
NICK HOLMAN 64
The Suns might argue that the bull-at-a-gate tackling forward is the first picked each week, given his list of one-percenters and drag-down tackles across 101 games. Now he needs some teammates to tip in with a similar tackle-first mantra.
JAKE ROGERS 64
Going all-in on this kid to make a first-year splash, given his gifts as a little terrier of a midfielder who has dominated at every level he has played at. He’s only 170cm but just cannot stop winning the footy. Was taken at pick 14 as a Suns Academy player in November’s draft.
BEN AINSWORTH 63
Scraped into the top-10 in the Suns’ best and fairest last year, kicking 21 goals in as many matches to go with 18 possessions a game. The free agent will play the season as a 26year-old who, to be honest, can find another level given his talent.
BRAYDEN FIORINI 63
Finally carved out a niche as a wingman and midfielder, playing 17 games last season and securing some centre-square time after his aborted trade to the Pies. The kids are coming – Jake Rogers, Alex Davies – so he needs to continue his rate of improvement in 2024.
CONNOR BUDARICK 61
The tight-checking defender is hugely rated inside the four walls of the Gold Coast and made a successful return in