FIVE BIG ISSUES

IT’S been a rocky road for the Suns in the AFL – and the questions will come thicker and faster in 2018. The Bulletin looks at the five burning topics that need answering in 2018

WHAT THE SUNS FACE IN SEASON 2018

ROAD WORRIERS

THANK the Comm Games for this one but the Suns have a wretched start to the 2018 season.

After reintroducing themselves to their training facilities, the club will then have to rely on banking enough wins on the road in the early part of the season to – hopefully – come rolling home with a string of matches at Metricon Stadium. That’s a big “if”.

LIFE AFTER GOD

SIMPLY, how do you replace Gary Ablett? The short answer is you can’t. The extended answer, though, could hold the key to the club’s long-term future. For all his mercurial talents, there is a popular belief that Ablett may have actually held back the Suns. Through no fault of his own or those at the club, it’s entirely possible that having Gaz meant Gold Coast was an easier side to contain. It also presented somewhat of a mental barrier for teammates. Perhaps losing a “go-to” man will enable the club’s young roster to find their own feet.

KEEPING A LYNCHPIN

TOM Lynch is a certainty to be chased. That much is known. Just what it takes to keep the emerging forward at the club remains to be seen. Winning – dah! – is a pretty convincing argument for a footy club. Nothing will quieten down whispers of discontent, or simply other clubs circling, like a blinding start to the season. Yep, winning solves a lot.

DEW’S PROCESS

NO one has questioned Stuart Dew’s credentials as a coach. Yet for all that experience notched at successful clubs like Sydney, how does he possibly transfer that to a minnow? History isn’t kind to the Suns and the rookie head coach must find a way to reverse that. He will have time on his side but there is little doubt fans are pretty keen on seeing signs of life in the early stages of the campaign.

FITNESS FEARS

IT’S unfair to suggest the club’s results could be turned around with a little more luck at the physio table.

Yet it’s entirely acceptable to wonder what could have been if those bodies had held up a tad better. Few Suns have been able to complete a full season in recent times, a key area of improvement needed if the club are able to reach finals footy. Exactly how you can prevent injury remains to be seen.