Gold Coast Suns v Fremantle Dockers
Slip and Slide
Preamble
On paper the Suns v Dockers game was one of the games of the round, and in the final wash it lived up to its billing, even if the game was only witnessed by a very small crowd.
In a twisted and warped way, I tinkered with the idea this match could be a Grand Final preview. It is a flight of fancy I know, but there will come a day when an off-Broadway team like the Dockers, and/or one of the new kids on the block square off in the decider.
The Suns and the Dockers may not draw the crowd and have the star billing of a MCG blockbuster, but their fans are amongst the most passionate in the competition. As a writer for The Mongrel Punt, I fear getting even the slightest detail wrong when reviewing either club as their loyal fans will let you know, and then some. I’m still apologising for the getting the first name moniker of Bodhi Uwland wrong a couple of weeks ago.
The Game
Gold Coast 2:1:13 / 5:5:35 / 7:7:49 / 9:10:64 was defeated by
Fremantle 5:3:33 / 6:5:41 / 9:8:62 / 11:9:75
Goals:
Suns: Flanders 3, Walter 2, Long 1, King 1, Lombard 1.
Dockers: Bolton 3, Voss 3, Frederick 1, Amiss 1, Brayshaw 1, Switkowski 1.
Best:
Suns; Anderson, Rioli, Rowell, Noble, Flanders, Noble.
Dockers: Bolton, Jackson, Brayshaw, Clark, Serong, Erasmus, Switkowski, Johnson, Ryan.
Shai Bolton’s Moment
In a game that demanded a last-minute hero by act or deed, it was a defensive run down by Shai Bolton on Nick Holman as the Suns were attempting to launch a final forward thrust that sealed the game for the Dockers. The Suns were open on the outer flank, and while it is debatable as to whether the Suns would have kicked a goal, the field was certainly open for them to attempt the steal the victory.
That was until the great Bolton rundown stopped them in their tracks.
Holman seemed to have enough time and space to possess the errant kick by Luke Jackson and kick it down the open side, but Bolton stalked his prey, pounced, and killed any hope of the Suns had of winning.
Holman did not see Bolton coming.
Jye Amiss, who is sadly out of form, accepted the loose ball from Bolton and dribbled the winner for the Dockers. Hopefully that goal gives Jye more confidence.
Where the Game was Won and Lost in the Rain
Queensland, beautiful one day, torrential rain the next. The early Saturday start game at People’s First Stadium was played in torrential conditions, and while the weather may have contributed to low attendance, it didn’t dampen the quality of the game between two teams who are evenly matched.
There is a school of thought that teams on the road need to score early to quieten the crowd, and that is exactly what the Dockers did in the first quarter.
Patrick Voss was hot in the first quarter as he muscled his way in the wet for two valuable first quarter snags. The first of Voss’ goals for the term was just reward for his brutal rundown on an unaware Uwland. Voss’ rundown tackle on Uwland set the tone for the Purple Haze for the rest game.
It is uncanny how one ferocious, tough act, can set the tone for the rest of the match.
I digress for a moment, but I was highly amused by the commentary of Kelli Underwood who gushed and blushed each time she mentioned Voss’ name. Kelli waxed lyrical about how ripped and tough Voss looked. The Pipe, Lynch and Brown may have been slightly perplexed by Underwood’s adulation, but they didn’t say a word.
Against the grain of popular consensus, I don’t mind Underwood’s commentary style. In an industry full of very sterilised commentators who tow the party line (AFL), she brings something different and refreshing, while at other times she can be very amusing. Kelli is infamous for her, ‘the Orange Team’ gaff, but instead of disappearing into the sunset she has embraced her gaff and her detractors, and she has developed her own style of commentary.
Anyway, enough about the commentary team for now.
It was Fremantle’s lesser-known players who did the most damage in the first quarter. Sam Switkowski, Corey Wagner and Michael Frederick not only contributed with goals on the scoreboard, but they also crumbed, scrapped and basically put their bodies on the line to make it easier for the blue-ribbon Docker players to ply their magic.
With the glistening body of Patrick Voss leading the purple haze by example early, the Dockers amassed a healthy 20-point at the first break.
For both teams, the usual suspects, Brayshaw, Serong, Clark and Ryan for the Dockers, and Anderson, Rowell, Rioli, Noble and Uwland for the Suns, were all amongst the top ranked players on the ground at the first break. Take that as read for the rest of the match.
Two players I am yet to mention are Luke Jackson and Sam Flanders, but more will be revealed.
Congratulations to Bodhi Uwland who kicked his first goal in the AFL.
At the end of the first quarter the commentators curse struck again when they disclosed the Dockers had won ten straight quarters (an equal club record). It was a moral they wouldn’t make it eleven straight, and they didn’t.
The Second and Third Stanzas
At quarter time the rain came and turned this match into a dour affair as both teams fought tooth and nail to gain some form of ascendancy. While it sounds a bit boring to describe a game as dour, there was a battle within the battle taking place as the game morphed turned into a chess match.
Both teams took turns at controlling the centre and the scoreboard and it was a case of, anything you can do, we can do better.
Late in the second quarter the Suns surged to be only a gaol behind at the main break – game on.
In this game of chess, Anderson, Rowell, Noble and Miller were doing the damage for the Suns, while Brayshaw, Serong, Bolton and Clark counter-attacked for the Dockers as the game ebbed and flowed.
At halftime Shai Bolton was beast on ground, while at the other end of the spectrum Sam Flanders only had three possessions to his name. Shai maintained his form in the second half, while Sam Flanders lifted and he nearly dragged the Suns over the line.
In the third quarter the rain got heavier as the game got more interesting.
Jed Walter got an early goal in the third quarter to level the scores, and from there the game see-sawed back and forth as both defences held strong, making goals a premium.
Sam Collins, who already looks like part of the cast for Sons of Anarchy, or Mayans, had a friendly head clash with Uwland which gave him a nice cut under his eye which started bruising up straight away. Eerily, a short time thereafter while repelling another Dockers forward thrust Sam smiled and instead of the smile softening him up a bit, he looked even more threatening and dangerous, ala Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
In the third quarter the usual suspects as mentioned earlier continued to take turns in controlling the clearances as momentum went back and forth. Whenever the Suns would put their noses in front, the calvary would arrive for the Dockers and they would wrestle back ascendancy.
When Kelli Underwood’s Adonis, Patrick Voss, slotted his third goal (career high) for the Dockers late in the third stanza, the Purple Haze went to the last break with a healthy, but not unassailable thirteen-point advantage.
Game on!
The buffer Fremantle had at quarter time was vital as it meant the Suns were chasing a deficit all day. When the Suns did catch up on the scoreboard, they failed to take control of the game as the Dockers midfielders toughed it out and swung the pendulum back in their favour. Two times the Suns got their nose in front in the last half, and on each occasion the Dockers would up the ante and thwart the Suns dead in their tracks.
Come three quarter time the game was crying for a couple of heroes to be the difference makers. For the Dockers it was Luke Jackson and Shai Bolton who went front and centre, and for the Suns it was Sam Flanders and Noah Anderson who tried to get their team over the line.
The Last Quarter
This game already had many twists and turns leading up the last quarter, so it was no surprise the last quarter would be more of the same.
An early goal in the last quarter to the magician Shai Bolton stretched the Dockers lead to an equal game-high 20-points. It looked and felt liked the game was over with just under six minutes left on the clock, but such was nature of this game there was always going to be at least one more twist to play out.
Sam Flanders, the first half three-possession man, turned his game around after the main break and he was instrumental in kicking two goals in as many minutes to bring the Suns within striking distance as they attempted to snatch a last-minute victory.
Flanders displayed his maturity in the second half as he willed himself back into the game after having a forgettable first half.
The clutch moment for the Suns came when Mac Andrew missed a set shot goal with a minute or so left on the clock which would have levelled up the scores. It was a difficult but gettable shot from the boundary, however it wasn’t meant to be.
The dying minutes of this match were fierce as no quarter was asked for and no quarter was given.
With the game on the line every contest was fierce, including Daniel Rioli being pushed, and running straight through Andrew Brayshaw and flattening him (fairly) with under a minute on the clock. Brayshaw looked like he was out for the count, but he got up, shook himself off, and took his free kick.
The very fabric of both teams was tested with a minute or so left on the clock, and both teams showed true character and grit as they battled the game right out.
For the Dockers, the last few minutes was a test of their mantle to see if they could maintain control and tempo of the game in a close finish, while for the Suns just needed go full on Helter Skelter and grasp any opportunity to try and steal victory.
In a match which had a finals like feeling, both teams did their jumper proud.
Is Luke Jackson the new Adam Goodes?
Justin Longmuir, who is often accused of not moving the magnets around enough, opted to play Luke Jackson in the midfield – as a midfielder. While it not unusual for Jackson to start at the centre when he is chopping out for Sean Darcy in the ruck, it is unusual for Jackson to start in the middle as a set midfielder.
Jackson the midfielder finished the game with 27 possessions, 12 kicks, 15 handballs, two marks and seven tackles, as well as 21 hit outs when he stepped in for Darcy. On a day that didn’t suit the big men, Jackson bucked the trend. His athleticism was on full display in a performance that would have done Adam Goodes proud.
Jackson relished his newfound freedom, and he was second best player on the ground just behind Shai Bolton.
In more ways than one Luke Jackson reminded me of Adam Goodes at his best.
Having a player who is near on 200cm tall who can play a role like an old school ruck-rover automatically strengthens the Dockers midfield, as well as giving opposition coaches a headache trying to find the right match up. And when Jackson dsplays the clean hands of a midfielder the way he did in this one, why wouldn’t you throw him into the guts?
Tidbits
In a game like this it is easy to concentrate on the players who racked up the possessions like Noah Anderson (39), Daniel Rioli (27) and Matt Rowell (27) for the Suns, and Andrew Brayshaw (30), Luke Jackson (27), and Caleb Serong (27), but this game was played mostly between the 50 metre arcs so the ball players were also going to dominant possessions, but who else made a difference?
Jordan Clark is having a great year, and not only did he have 30 possessions in this game, but he also clunked six marks and laid six tackles, in another impressive performance.
Whenever I see John Noble play, I am stunned he was left out of the Pies 2023 Premiership team. How the hell did that happen? Collingwood may have won the 2023 flag, but they lost a player who may come back to bite them hard one day – I hope he does.
Noble is a tough, robust, no-nonsense player with an underrated fleet of foot who performs his role week in, week out.
There is a lot to like about Sean Darcy as a player, but if his performance in the wet at Carrara with a mere three possessions is any guide for the future, then Sean might find himself rested the next time the Dockers play in the wet. On other side, Ned Moyle who also had only three possessions for the game, and he might also find himself out of favour in the future if the conditions are wet.
Jye Amiss is really struggling to find any form this season. Amiss is a vital cog in the Dockers team, but he lacks confidence and now might be the right time to throw him up back to defence for a while, or to let him find form in the WAFL. Jye is a very similar player to Ben Brown, and it would be bang for buck for the Dockers if he found his mojo before the finals to fill the role of the second or third forward capable of kicking three or four snags.
Neil Erasmus played arguably the best match of his career – well done.
Finally, congratulation to Leo Lombard who kicked his first goal in his first game when he crumbed the ball from a pack and kicked truly. Well done, Leonardo. Apart from Leo Barry, I am hard pressed to think of another Leo who has played in the big league.
Next week Fremantle have the bye, followed by three straight games at Optus. The Dockers now have the foundations to mount a serious challenge in the second half of the season.
The Suns travel to Cattery next week to take on the Rock n’ Roll Cats in a match that could be called an eight-point game, before their bye. Thereafter they travel to Engie Stadium to face the Giants, followed by games against Melbourne and Essendon.
We will know a lot more about the Gold Coast before the end of the financial year.
Thanks for reading the article.
