Gold Coast is still yet to have a top eight finish since entering the competition in 2011 – will 2021 be their year a decade later?
The Suns’ young core impressed early on in 2020, but dropped away as the season went along and ultimately ended with five wins and a 14th placed finish.
Eagles legend Glen Jakovich feels the Suns have another chance to get off to a strong start given their fixture, but they can’t afford to let winnable games slip through their fingers.
“They’ve got a tough draw early on. They’ve got a tricky first six games,” Jakovich told Sportsday WA.
“They’ve got West Coast (in Perth) Round 1, North, Crows, Carlton, Bulldogs and Sydney so they need to be 50 per cent there.
“I like their top-end talent, but their top-end talent is young.”
Jakovich sees the key to Gold Coast’s improvement coming from a better forward line mix.
“They’ve got to kick a score. They were 12th in scoring last year. If they’re going to threaten to make the top eight, you’ve got Izak Rankine, Ben Ainsworth, Sam Day, Josh Corbett, they need to compliment (Ben King and Alex Sexton) and they’ve got to get their forward line structure going really well,” he said.
The star West Coast defender unfortunately doesn’t see the Suns breaking their drought this year.
“They lack depth in experienced players. If they get a few injuries, they’re going to struggle,” he said.
“I’ve got them finishing 10th to 15th on the ladder this year. Look out for Will Brodie, Wil Powell and Jeremy Sharp. I think he can fit into that side. He’s an elite runner, kicks the ball really well, but they’re going to have to do a lot right (to make the eight).
“Down back they’re pretty solid. Jack Lukosius, I’d like to see him play back more before he learns his craft as a centre half forward.
“They’ve got some good players, they can’t rely on Matt Rowell and Lachie Weller, but 10th to 15th (on the ladder) for Gold Coast (in 2021).”