Round 23
Gold Coast Suns v Melbourne Demons
A Lot of Nothing to Play For?
Pregame
Gold Coast Suns
If we compare the history of the Gold Coast Suns to the Greater Western Sydney Giants, the Suns have been utterly disappointing. Coming to the end of their fourteenth season in the competition, there is very little correlation between the Suns and the Giants, who this year embark on yet another final’s series.
For the record, the Giants who made their debut a year after the Suns in 2012, have played in one Grand Final, four Preliminary Finals and the have won at least one final every year they have made the finals. Going into September this year the Giants are one of the inform teams who will challenge again at the pointy end of the season.
On the other hand, the Suns’ best season to date has been ten wins for any season, the same number of wins they currently have this season. Midseason there was a bit of hype the Suns would finally make the finals, but their inability to win away from People First Stadium until last weekend has haunted them.
For the Suns, the matchup against the Demons is their Waterloo. Win and they have their most successful season in the competition, lose and it is just another disappointing Suns season.
While a win will give the Suns eleven wins, which in any other year would be considered a winning season, with the competition having an extra round this year they would need to also beat Richmond next weekend at the MCG to be above the ledger for the first time in their history.
Damian Hardwick stated at the beginning of the season he had ‘eighty percent of the pieces’ in place already for the Suns to be successful and if that is the case then a lot of the players running around in the next two weeks may well be playing for their future at the club.
Melbourne Demons
For a club that won the Premiership in 2021 and finished top four in 2022 and 2023, there has certainly been a lot of negative press concerning the Demons. At the start of the year the blowtorch was applied to Clayton Oliver, and by seasons end there are rumours about Christian Petracca and Jack Viney wanting to leave, as well Alex Neal-Bullen wanting to return to South Australia.
The only certainty out of all this press is Alex Neal-Bullen does want to return to South Australia for family reasons, and good luck to him. Neal-Bullen has been a good servant to the Melbourne Football Club, and he has earned the right to go back to South Australia.
As far as Oliver, Petracca and Viney are concerned, there are a lot of rumours, innuendo, and pure falsehoods being touted by a media gallery more than happy to generate any story they can about the Dees big three.
Are the rumours and innuendos true? I truly don’t know, and until such time as something happens then all the media hot air is just that, hot air.
Apart from pride, the Demons can’t achieve much from the last two rounds, and it would not surprise if they put the cue in the rack.
I am tipping the Suns to win this match based purely on the basis they have a lot to gain from winning their last two matches, while the Demons would already be setting themselves for another tilt at finals in 2025.
I’ve probably written more in the pregame than normal given the unknown is the mental approach either team might be taking into this match. Further, who wins and who loses, and how is kind of academic as neither team can make the finals
When is the Season Over?
The AFL season is a test of resources, attrition, stamina and mental application. In 2024, the home and away season now stretches over 25 weeks, some three weeks longer than a few years ago when the season was a purely winter-based game. Changes to ICC schedule for test and one day matches have freed up the major venues a month earlier than in previous years. The AFL has gladly stepped in and made hay while the March sun shines as it competes with the NRL for the early season revenue.
In principle, the decision to expand the season, not just by an extra round, but also by concepts like Opening Round, are sound fiscal decisions, but what impact is it having on the competition, and more importantly, the resources, attrition, stamina and mental application at club land?
Essendon, Adelaide and Geelong, who all had something to play for this round, all looked tired and out of tickets in the second half of their respective matches. My emphasis in this article is on the Suns and their worst half of football they had this year, just at the point they had a chance to make club history and win eleven games for the first time inside of 22 rounds.
Now before Melbourne supporters start thinking this review is purely about the Suns, I raise the question what happens when the shackles are removed, and the youngsters and role players are allowed to play with freedom and just enjoy a kick in the park with no pressure or expectations?
The First Half
Once upon a time, in an AFL not too long ago, players lined up in set positions with a direct opponent, and as simple as that concept sounds in 2024, it made for free-flowing football, some good one on one battles, and high scores. For those who can remember, think back to the Ablett and Salmon goal feast in 1993. It was a beautiful time to be a spectator.
The first half of the Suns and Demons clash was a throwback to yesteryear as structures were maintained and goals a plenty were scored.
Fifteen goals in a half of AFL football in an era of defensive shutdowns is a rarity, but when it does occur it is exciting, and the first half of this match was exciting with the halftime score being Melbourne 8 goals 5 behinds to the Suns 7 goals 5 behinds.
What was surprising in the first half was not so much the scores, but who scored the gaols. Surprisingly Ben King, Bayley Fritsch and Kysaiah Pickett were not amongst the early onslaught of goals, instead the goals came from some unlikely players.
Jarrod Witts and Sam Flanders, neither of who are regular goal kickers, both slotted two major in the first half for the Suns, including a stunning ruck goal from Witts as he out muscled Max Gawn. For the Demons Jack Viney, who is not a noted goal kicker, and Daniel (Disco) Turner were he main contributors with two goals each, while Jacob van Rooyen and Harrison Petty were both looking dangerous up forward.
The major difference between the two teams at halftime was Jack Viney, who relished being the main man in the absence of Petracca and Oliver, however, Touk Millar and Flanders were busy keeping the Suns in the match.
Halftime – Game on.
Melbourne – Breaking the Shackles that Bind
The Demons owned the second half of this match as they slammed on ten goals to two running out eventual winners by nine goals even, but what happened after halftime for such a turnaround? I will deal with the Suns later, but as far as the Demons were concerned, a lot their youngster and regular role players were freed up from their week in week out roles and they just enjoyed the freedom to highlight their skills.
Viney enjoyed being the man in the absence of his two mates, while Ed Langdon looked like, well Ed Langdon circa 2021, big Max was doing what big Max does, Lever was the rock in defence, and Jake Melksham again proved why he is the best super-sub in the competition, but they were all nearly upstaged by some of the understudies.
Harrison Petty has threatened for a couple of seasons now he could be the player the Dees need up forward and under the sun at People First Stadium he marked everything that come his way and helped himself to three goals. Petty has teased the Demons diehards, who aren’t at the snow, that he can be the man upfront to support Bayley Fritsch and Kysaiah Pickett, and it will be interesting to see in 2025 whether this game was just another tease, or a peek at things to come.
Jacob van Rooyen, with three goals, is tracking nicely to be a dominant forward in the competition in the next couple of seasons. He would have been disappointed being subbed out the match the week before, so his performance against the Suns showed he is maturing into a player who can take a few knocks and bounce back. This kid has the potential to be something really special, and while some Demon supporters I know get frustration with him at times, he is the kind of player who will only get better with age and experience.
In the first quarter when the game was on the line and the pressure was probably at it’s highest. Daniel Turner was everywhere. Disco had four score involvements and kicked two goals himself in probably the best match he has played for the Dees. By game’s end, he helped himself to a career-high four goals, and maybe even a Brownlow vote.
Special mention to the consistent Judd McVee, who finally kicked his first goal in the bigtime, and also to Koltyn Tholstrup. I’ll be honest, I had not paid much attention to Tholstrup before this match, but when it counted in this match, he stood up. Also, Jack Bowey, a player I have criticised in the past, was really solid in this match.
In summary, in the absence of a few heavy-weight stars, and with Goodwin allowing his men to play with less structure due to finals being out of the equation, the young Demons played with freedom and looked happy under the warm Gold Coast sun.
The Suns – So Disappointing
The very premise of this article focused on the opportunity the Suns had to create a little bit of their own history and relevancy within this competition. Alas, in a game which favoured the Suns, they capitulated and then some in the second half.
As a neutral, I was looking forward to seeing what the Suns had in the second half, but whatever happened in the changerooms at the main break, a different team emerged onto the field than the team that had fought out the first half.
While I’m not letting the Suns of scot-free, I have a theory that within a split second a team’s season can be over. In the 2021 Grand Final, the Bulldogs season ended five minutes in to the final quarter and they were spectators as the Dees ran over the top of them. In 2022, the Swans’ season ended in the final quarter of the Preliminary Final and they were impotent in the Grand Final, while a couple of weeks ago when Josh Treacy got injured in the final quarter against the Bombers, the Dockers season effectively ended, and they are now poised to miss out on the finals after being in the top four before the Treacy injury. As can be seen, there are many examples of clubs being rendered useless, for one reason or another, late in the year and their seasons ending prematurely.
The Suns second half was woeful as the Demons had probably their most enjoyable half of football for the year. I am not even bothering to highlight one player or another, as the second half collapse was a team effort, and the team should wallow in this as a collective.
It was WOEFUL.
Next Week
The Demons have main billing on Friday night as they take on the Pies, a team still believing they can take a place in September. It should be an intriguing matchup.
The Suns season comes to an end against the Tigers next Saturday afternoon, and given their performance against the Demons I am tipping the Tigers to finish the season on a high
