Brownlow Medallist Adam Cooney has assessed the state of the Gold Coast Suns heading into the 2022 season.
The Suns were reasonably competitive to start 2021, winning three of their first seven games, before eventually finishing 16th with seven victories and 15 losses.
Heavy defeats to Melbourne (98 points), Essendon (58) and Sydney (87) to finish last year heaped further pressure on coach Stuart Dew after another season outside the top eight.
“That has become a real trend with the Gold Coast Suns, the dramatic fall away in the second half of seasons,” Cooney told SEN SA Breakfast.
“Some of those beltings they received in the back end of the year were just non-competitive.
“They’ve got young stars that are still learning the game, but if they are going to have any form of success, they have to stop these dramatic fall aways.
“They need to turn this talent into some grunt and some grit if they are going to have any success.”
The loss of star forward Ben King to a season-ending knee injury is what the Suns did not need, while Hugh Greenwood’s departure to North Melbourne in the off-season raised eyebrows.
“It just hurts so much to lose Ben King. He’s just about the most important player for a team in the AFL where they sit at the moment,” Cooney said.
“They lose Hugh Greenwood in the off-season – in a dead set burglary – from North Melbourne and they lose Ben King to an ACL injury training.
“They’re effectively six clearances down a game and they need to find 50 goals from other avenues because that’s what those two players provide.”
Cooney says out-of-contract duo Izak Rankine and Jack Lukosius must add consistency to their attacking flair and believes young gun Matt Rowell needs to rediscover his form from early 2020 to compensate the loss of Greenwood.
Rowell, a former No.1 draft pick, has been restricted to just 17 games in two years due to shoulder and knee injuries.
“They need Izak Rankine to find some consistency – and quickly. They need Jack Lukosius to become a really consistent player and to take easier options by foot,” Cooney said.
“I’ve seen him take options that aren’t there. He is a great kick, but he doesn’t have to take that miracle option all the time. If he can take the easier options and use the ball on the wing and coming out of the backline, then the Gold Coast Suns will be a far better team.
“It’s harsh on Matty Rowell – but he needs to explode. His first few games showed that he can do it, he’s more than capable, injuries have prevented that over the first couple of years of his career.
“If he goes to that level where we expect him to then that helps alleviate the six clearances that they lose with Hugh Greenwood.”
The one-time All-Australian is tipping top Suns draftee Mac Andrew to make an instant impact in his debut season.
“He’s got every attribute that you need to be a star at AFL level,” Cooney said of Andrew.
So how many wins is a pass mark for the Suns in 2022?
“I’ll say they’ll win nine games without any confident whatsoever,” Cooney said.
“They have to improve. They have no choice.
“If Stuart Dew’s going to keep his job with Alastair Clarkson looming over his shoulder, they’ve got to win more than seven games at the very least.”