SUN IN THE WRIGHT
SUNS forward Peter Wright says he was following team rules when he decided to centre the ball instead of going for goal against St Kilda in a move that he thought would leave Gold Coast vulnerable in the dying stages.
The memory of Sunday’s decision has played in Wright’s mind since he opted to put the Sherrin at the top of the goal square when he received a free kick on the edge of the 50m arc near the boundary line.
Gold Coast trailed by a point with just over two minutes remaining but the man considered one of Gold Coast’s best set-shot kickers put the ball into the contest where teammate Chris Burgess dropped the mark in front of goal.
Wright explained what was going through his mind at the time: “It was a tough one. It definitely went through my head going both ways, to have the shot or put it just at the top of the square.
“I remember thinking we had three to five minutes left and didn’t think a point would do it for us.
“It is a team structure, if you’re on the edge of your range or a tough shot then put it to the top of the square.
“It almost came off, Burgess nearly took mark of the year. That comes off and he marks the ball and it works out perfectly.
“Even after that we still had our chances but both options were going through my head.
“If I kicked a point, with
new rules you can get it out of the centre quick and thought it would leave us vulnerable.
“Even to get a secondary stoppage in front of goals would have been nice. Hopefully I get another chance at it and get a better result.”
Wright kicked two goals against the Saints, including a snap from the pocket on a tight angle that earned him a goal of the year nomination.
“It all happened pretty quick,” he said ahead of the Suns’ next clash with Fremantle at Metricon Stadium on Sunday.
“It was more a reflex action. You try to kick goals like that at training so it was nice to see it go through.
“It was one of the better goals I’ll kick, that’s for sure.”
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon is still unsure whether gun recruit Jesse Hogan will make his Dockers debut on Sunday.
Hogan did not play in the Dockers’ 82-point demolition of North Melbourne in Round 1 because of mental health grounds.
It is possible Hogan replaces Hayden Ballantyne who is expected to miss three weeks with a hamstring injury.
Lyon said he would rely on medical advice before deciding whether to run Hogan against the Suns at Carrara.