‘On brink of a flag’: Huge call on rising Suns
Damien Hardwick’s Suns can spike in the next few years – and spike hard, according to Fox Footy pundits.
Gold Coast continued its promising start to life under Hardwick at the weekend in a 53-point mauling of Hawthorn to improve to 3-2 on the season and currently sit eighth on the ladder.
The Suns in Round 5 ranked No.2 in the competition for pressure, No.3 for intercepts and No.2 for points off intercepts.
It continued a trend for the Suns in 2024 where the club’s style under Hardwick has bechaos. come apparent – ranked No. in the AFL for intercepts and ranked top five in pressure and scoring off intercepts – which dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna noted were “all the hallmarks of a Hardwick side.”
Speaking on Fox Footy’s The First Crack, Montagna suggested the Suns were “looking more and more like the Richmond model” under Hardwick with each game and that that the “imprint” of the three-time premiership coach has already taken effect.
“Their turnover game is really strong at the moment. What I like about it is it’s almost that Richmond model where its imperfect,” Montagna said. “Just bang it (inside 50), make sure you don’t get outmarked and then your small forwards get to work and lock it in there and cause It’s not pretty – they’re embracing imperfection, taking territory, winning contests then getting after it.
“Their pressure game is high.
“And you let your talent come to the fore.”
Dual premiership Kangaroo David King declared the Suns have “arrived” and can win a premiership within the next few years.
King was particularly excited by Gold Coast’s tall timber “monsters’ up forward in Ben King and top draftees Ethan Read and Jed Walter.
“(Hardwick) never had three monsters forward of the ball – this is why I’m so bullish on this team winning the flag in the next 40 or 60 games,” King told The First Crack.
“202cm Ben King, 202cm Ethan Read and 195cm of absolute anger in Jed Walter – he is a brute.
“He wants to snap people in half when he tackles them, he wants to contested mark, he doesn’t want anything easy. He’s just doing so much as a young player early in his days. “They have arrived.
“If you undersell the Suns, you’ll get whacked between the eyes.
“Going up there and coming home with the four points is now a different discussion. It’s changed.”