The drab four: What has happened to star midfield unit?

The Gold Coast Suns were expected to be amongst the best teams in the competition in 2026.

13 rounds in, they are far from it.

After sneaking into finals and winning their first ever September bout last season, the Suns were rewarded with an absolute haul, trading for Melbourne’s superstar Christian Petracca, adding Jamarra Ugle-Hagan from the Dogs drafting two top talents in Zeke Uwland and Dylan Patterson.

However, despite projecting as one of the best lists in the game, Gold Coast currently sit in sixth place with seven wins from 12, five wins behind ladder leaders Fremantle and with some serious issues that need mending.

Saturday’s five-goal home loss to the struggling Lions was an indication of all the on-field issues perpetuating at the club, and David King has called on four of their stars to fix up an issue that their star-studded list should never be suffering from.

“The fab four has become the drab four,” King told SEN Fireball.

“I’m looking at Christian Petracca, Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson and Touk Miller.

“Who would have thought for the last six weeks they could be the worst team in the competition at clearance with those guys at ground level.

“-9 on average and losing scoreboard power as well, so they are getting smacked there. They are the third worst centre bounce team in the competition.

“How can that be the case when you’ve got the Brownlow Medallist of '25, the Coaches' Award winner of '25, All-Australians everywhere through there and you add Petracca to the mix?

“That was going to be the reason that the bridge the gap from last year’s final win to winning the whole thing. They want for nothing, their star factor talent in there is ridiculous.

“I just look at the weekend – centre bounce clearances, 5.2.32 to 1.1.7 (scores from clearance. That’s the game. It’s over.

“What has happened to these guys? There’s been some injuries to Rowell, but in the end, these guys have got to stand up.”

Kane Cornes chimed in, questioning whether the players are playing for the team, or for themselves.

“Is it a bit of the Melbourne syndrome from a few years ago where they started to play for individual awards and not for team success?” he said.

“I don’t know why that would happen considering they have not tasted any team success at the Gold Coast Suns, but are they a bunch of individuals playing for that type of thing?

“Every time the opposition’s best midfielder plays against Gold Coast, you can guarantee that they are going to have 30 and a huge influence.

“Every best midfielder against Gold Coast, it is a free-for-all. There is no defensive accountability at all.

“It was Lachie Neale on the weekend, and it is everyone who plays against them. Happy days if you are a good midfielder against Gold Coast.

“Is it a bunch of individuals playing for themselves in there?”

Outside of Logan Morris’ seven-goal haul, Neale had an absolute field day at People First Stadium.

Racking up 37 disposals, 19 contested touches, 10 clearances and 10 score involvements, Brisbane's veteran midfielder dominated against what was one of the game’s best and most physical midfields of 2025.

“I could show you six or seven stoppages where it is Noah Anderson versus Lachie Neale, and then two seconds after the stoppage, the separation is just ridiculous, and Lachie would get the footy,” King said.

“I’m thinking, how could this happen? I think one of the great indicators of toughness in our game – we set the bar high for our mids, so let’s put that on the table.

“Patrick Cripps, I think has been unfairly assaulted in the media this year for some of his ability to get his hands on the ball at clearance but not convert it to an absolute clearance.

“So, first possession to clearance. Last year, the Suns were the second best in the competition at that. Tough. Win it, hang onto it, inside to out, away we go. Only the Dogs were better.

“Now, they are 10th in the comp. 10th. With those guys, Petracca, Rowell, Anderson, Miller, Bailey Humphrey – Humphrey is supposed to be shooting the lights out, I know he was banged up on the weekend.

“We are talking about stars. It’s about time they pulled their finger out this mob and got rolling.”

Things don’t get easy for the Suns, with Geelong, Hawthorn, Fremantle, Collingwood, Adelaide and the Bulldogs making up their next six.