They did it.
After years of threatening, and years of disappointment, not only did the Gold Coast Suns make the finals, but they also won their first taste of September action. A thrilling one-point win over Freo on the road got the monkey off this club’s back, and in the process, may have created a monster.
The Suns have got a taste for it, now. They have basked in the glow of potential glory and loved what it felt like. They went from a team with no finals history to making history, themselves… and it’ll be damn difficult to stop them chowing down on the competition this year.
Adding Christian Petracca and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan have added more bite to the team, and with a Brownlow Medallist, a premiership coach, and elite talent all over the park, the goal posts have moved for the Suns entering the 2026 season.
It is no longer about making finals, or just winning one – they’ve been there, they’ve done that.
No, this season, a bigger prize is in the offing. For the first time in their history, the Gold Coast Suns are a premiership threat.
Sometimes, all it takes to surge upwards is breaking that seemingly impenetrable glass ceiling. Gold Coast did that in 2025. In 2026, the sky’s the limit.
If you’re reading all our previews, you can skip ahead a little bit – It’s the standard intro.
We’re steaming toward a new season, and as we do, it is time to turn our attention away from the glory of last year and look at the possibilities of the new one.
The players have been on the track for a while now – the work is intensifying as we move onto February, and the charge into the new season ramps right up.
This is where premierships are won and lost. This is where improvements are made and lists come together. This is where the kids show if they’re serious or not, and young projects become the next group of stars. New faces, new colours, old heads with renewed passion… so much feeds into the making of a contender. And as the days tick down toward the intra-club clashes, practice games, and eventually the real stuff, questions are raised about each team and how they’re going to perform in this new season.
And that’s where HB and The Mongrel come in.
We don’t do things by halves here, at The Mongrel Punt. When we do a season preview, we go all in to make sure it is the best, most comprehensive coverage you’ll receive. We pride ourselves on it. If you want to read one season preview for your team, or any team, this series will provide what you’re after.
The way it works is as follows.
Each club has a minimum of 15 questions asked about the upcoming season, their coaches, their players, and their expectations. The answers are not glossed over. We dive deep on each and every one of them – some singular answers would normally be long enough for an entire column. The first five questions/answers are free for you to consume. The next 10-14 for each club are for our members, including a special appearance from Mrs Mongrel to throw her two cents in the mix.
Isn’t it a bit early for a season preview? Well, I suppose, but do you know how long it takes to write seven-to-nine thousand words? That’s 18 x 8,000… gets out the calculator… that’s 144,000 words. The average novel is about 85,000 words, so buckle the hell up with these previews; HB goes deeper than anyone else covering the game..
Also, if there are any issues that arise after the publication of the preview for any team, they will be covered in standalone articles to act as additions to this preview.
You will not read a more comprehensive season preview than this – I guarantee it. This is where we start the run to the new season, and believe me – nobody does it better than The Mongrel.
Let’s jump into the season preview for the Suns.
1 – WHO’LL BE THE ODD BIG MAN OUT INSIDE 50?
What a problem to have.
Imagine you’re a coach and you’re sitting back with the other coaches, looking at your list. You look around the room and smile – you’ve come to the conclusion – man, we have too many tall forward options.
How much would the other coaches just want to kill you if you uttered that in their presence?
Look at what the Suns have to play with.
Ben King is coming off a 71-goal season.
They have recruited a former number one pick, in Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, who displayed that he had the ability to become one of the best forwards in the game… before he fell over.
They have Ethan Read, who stands over 200 centimetres tall, has great hands, and is floated as one of the most promising ruck/forwards in the competition.
And to top it all off, they have this monstrous specimen named Jed Walter, who has power, speed, and everything you’d look for in a developing forward.
And here is where the issues start – you can’t play them all at once.
I am sure the idea has crossed Dimma’s mind – what if he did play them all at once? It’d sure as hell stretch any defence as they tried to cover them in the air, but once the ball hits the deck, things automatically swing to the advantage of the fleet-footed opposition on the rebound. It is something Hardwick will have to weight up over the remainder of the pre-season, as all are deserving of a place in the team, all offer something a little different, and all may feel a little slighted if they’re the one that makes way for another. It is worth taking a closer look at.
Ben King is out of contract following this season. It seems that he is constantly the subject of trade rumours, and until he re-signs (if he re-signs), that will likely be the case again. As the player with the runs on the board, his position is secure this season, and he remains the focal point of the forward line.
Jamarra is also out of contract after this year. He is essentially playing to save his career, and I expect him to apply himself in a manner reflecting that status. If he approaches the level many expected him to, he is the bargain basement recruit of the season.
Read has two years to run after this, but his value as a second ruck, or perhaps third ruck if the Suns play two genuine big men, probably works for him as the third marking option. He is also pretty versatile, so we could see him trialled in multiple roles.
And then there’s Walter, who is also out of contract after this season, and despite being a Gold Coast local, is already on the radar of every club with any brains.
Hardwick is not just coaching for the 2026 season, and trying to win a premiership, he is coaching for the retention of his A-Grade forwards beyond this season.
The risk here, is that the side starts to look settled with a certain lineup out on the park, and one of the players are left out in the cold. If it is one of those who are coming out of contract, the thought of jumping ship would have to cross their mind. Every team needs a good key forward. No team has the resources that Gold Coast currently possess, particularly in the younger bracket.
If you’re in the position of Damien Hardwick, what would you opt for right now?
Do you put your eggs in the Jamarra basket and hope that he provides the opportunity to go deep in September? Do you back the versatility of Read and hope he makes progress from the 0.9 goals per game he averaged last year? Or do you back Jed Walter in to grow into that body and start imposing himself on the contest?
It’s a tough job… which is probably why the pay is so good. All of these blokes can be walk up starts in most teams, but I get the feeling that at some stage, we’re going to see someone with their nose out of joint. And make no mistake, there will be a plethora of teams ready to pounce should that occur.
As a Restricted Free Agent, King’s contract becomes paramount. Ideally, he gets off to a great start, and so do the Suns. Seeing what is possible with this group, he opts to stay.
Of course, the worst-case scenario puts the Suns in a bind. Do they keep prioritising their full forward at the expense of the kids if the team is losing and King is not snagging goals, in the knowledge he might walk?
A good problem to have, yes… right now it is. In five or six months, I am not sure it’ll be considered as such. I get the feeling the Suns will lose someone – who do you think it’ll be?
2 – IS BEN LONG DAMIEN HARDWICK’S FIRST-PICKED EVERY WEEK? IF NOT, WHY NOT?
Dimma loves the hard stuff, and if there is one player that embodied that in 2025, it was Ben Long.
Is there a harder player in the league than Long? He attacks the contest with reckless abandon, and if there happens to be an opposition player in the way… well, I wouldn’t want to swap places with them.
He is one of the very few players in the competition right now that has the confidence in his ability and technique to lay a big hip and shoulder and not bat an eyelid. And in a competition that is increasingly shying away from tough physical contact, it makes him a rarity in the AFL. And one that makes the opposition defence nervous as they exit D50.
What I love about Long, and I am sure Hardwick does as well, is that he goes just as hard whether he has the footy, or the opposition has it. He tackles like a demon (the otherworldly sort… not the ones who train at Casey) and when he has the opportunity to collect the footy, his eyes remain on it at all times. If he gets collected, he cops it sweet – part and parcel of playing footy, to him. It is too rare – you just don’t see him trowing his head back, playing for a free kick. It’s not who he is.
He is a throwback to a time when players hit, and got hit, and didn’t complain. For a while, he was labelled as a thug. This came during his time at St Kilda, after he collected Freo’s Sean Darcy in the head when the big man bent down to pick the footy up. However, over time, Long has proven that he is anything but.
He is a hard, fair player, who puts his own body on the line without flinching every time it is his turn to go. If I were to choose one player to embody what I want out of a player I was coaching, I reckon Long would be right near the top of the list.
A thug?
Hell no – just the best physical half-forward in the game, and even though he dropped off a little later int eh season, he was definitely worthy of consideration for the AA team. And I reckon both anyone he has run into over the last 12 months, and his current coach would agree. He is a key facet in this Suns team, and if they need someone to set the tone when finals roll around, he is the one to do it.
3 – DOES SAM COLLINS FINALLY GET SOME LEAGUE-WIDE RECOGNITION IN 2026?
If I asked you who the best key defender over the past few years was, I am guessing I’d get the usual answers from most.
Harris Andrews…
Sam Taylor…
Maybe Jacob Weitering.
Where would Sam Collins rate in the conversation?
He has been in the All-Australian squad in both the last two years, was equal winner of The Mongrel Punt Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2024, and has become a pillar of the Suns defence since his delisting from Fremantle. His road back to playing in the AFL makes a great story.
However, outside the Suns fandom, his name is barely uttered when it comes to the elite key defenders in the league. This needs to change, and change quickly.
Collins is the second-oldest player on the Suns list, with only Jarrod Witts counting more candles on his cake, but his durability has been exceptional for Gold Coast, playing 109 games over the last five years with the club.
What would it take for big fella to claim an All-Australian selection at this stage of his career?
His numbers have slightly declined, even as the Suns have got better. That doesn’t help. A couple of years back, he was averaging 9.1 one-percenters per game. The following season, he was at 8.3 intercepts.
In 2025, he managed 6.2 one-percenters and 8.1 intercepts. That statistial decline tells me that the only thing that will elevate Collins in the eyes of selectors is being part of a dominant team whilst continuing at the same level he’s been around for the last few years. With the benefit of the added attention that a top four team would generate, Collins’ heroics inside defensive fifty would see his profile raised amongst those with a loud voice.
The Suns have four games that could be considered prime time viewing in 2026. Playing on, and restricting, Jeremy Cameron in Round Zero would set the tone. Their second “big” evening fixture is against Port Adelaide in Round Ten. Putting the clamps on Mitch Georgiades would add to the Collins Aura.
Then, a repeated dose against the Cats in Round 14, followed by a date with the Hawks in Round 15, would put Collins’ name at the forefront of selectors’ minds.
It’s sad, but I reckon those are the games he has to shine in to garner the attention of the wider footy public. Big states, all eyes on the game, and Collins as the standout defender. He has been a consistent defensive beast for three years on the trot, and they haven’t rewarded him. He needs to do it when they’re all sitting at home thinking about what will generate a headline the next day.
If he doesn’t get an AA selection this season, I am afraid he might not ever get one.
Father Time has never lost, after all.
4 – WHO CAPITALISES MOST ON THE DEPARTURE OF BEN AINSWORTH?
Oh, this’ll be a dogfight, and I expect someone will end up playing out of position.
I might be a bit premature (not again, HB…) but I love what Dylan Patterson showed in juniors. He looks like a livewire, and will be pressing hard for a spot in the team. Whether that is as a forward, or moving through the midfield at times, remains to be seen, but he is demonstrating in match sims that he is up for whatever challenge is thrown at him, and I have little doubt he’ll be spending some time up forward.
Where that leaves Leo Lombard and Jake Rogers is something to keep an eye, but given Lombard is viewed as a potential midfielder, I reckon things could start getting a little tight all over the park at Gold Coast.
The great thing about this is the depth it creates. Great teams have depth, and once you develop it, you start to reap rewards later in the season when legs get tired and muscles strain.
Right now, the Suns have all this firepower and only a certain amount of spaces to accommodate it. I already explored the crunch with the tall forwards, but this one poses just as many issues.
You’d think, at best, there is one spot to divide between Patterson, Lombard, and Rogers.
I think there will be a fair bit of rotation through the role, with Rogers probably spending the bulk of his time inside 50, whilst both Patterson (stints through the guts) and Lombard (wing) getting further up the ground. It was interesting to note that Lombard took out the 2km time trial earlier this pre-season. He has put the work in and will be like getting a new recruit for the Suns after his injury-interrupted 2025. It might be enough for the Suns to see him as a full-time mid, already. Or at least a full time winger.
Who benefits most from Ainsworth’s absence?
Immediately, it’s Rogers. Then, as things develop, I can see both Patterson and Lombard slotting into spots inside 50, as the Suns look to keep teams guessing. Ben Long’s pressure acts like he’s a pseudo-small-forward, as well.
Personally, I don’t think the Suns miss Ainsworth, at all. He promised a heap and never quite delivered. The time to move on was right, and with Long, Humphrey, Rogers, and a taste of Lombard and Patterson inside 50, the Suns will not miss a beat.
5 – WHAT DOES GETTING CHARLIE BALLARD BACK MEAN TO THIS DEFENCE?
It opens up options and makes Mac Andrew a better player in the process.
Sometimes, I watch Charlie Ballard play the game, and I have no idea how he ends up with the footy. He looks out of position, lost at sea, and like his opponent has him beaten. And then the ball drops and, somehow, it ends up in Ballard’s lap.
I can vividly remember watching games and seeing him pull off an intercept mark of the contested variety, and wondering how the hell he did it? Some players just have the ability to do the impossible like that – Jack Riewoldt was similar. He often made something out of nothing due to unconventional, yet highly effective body positioning.
But that’s not the question at hand, is it?
If the Suns struggled in any facet of the game last season, I reckon it was the tall timber in defence that was the most glaring weakness. Collins is a beast and Mac Andrew came along beautifully, but it also meant that Will Powell had to play a bit taller at times, and it led to some trouble against the more powerful forwrad lines. With Ballard back, the group just seems to have a good mix of aerial capability and ground ball mop up.
When you talk about additions to the team, you could forgiven to gravitating only towards Jamarra and Petracca, but the return of Ballard almost counts as getting a top-line recruit. He played just one game last season, and for someone who means so much to the team to wander in and immediately resume playing as a capable key defender, it really takes some of the heat off the back six.
The Suns were the fifth-ranked defensive unit in the league last season without Ballard. Adding him back to the mix, I reckon they can start eyeing top three.
The remainder of this article, and the next 14 questions are for our members. They support me, and I provide for them. It’s a good deal.
Oh… a Mongrel paywall… the worst of all paywalls. We’re on the march to the 2026 AFL season and it all begins here. The Mongrel’s Big Questions Season Previews are THE best in the business. If you know, you know… if not, maybe it’s time to find out. Pre-Season, Practice Games… we’re all in. Dump the mainstream lip service and dive into articles like this – you will never look back. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. You’re welcome to re-read the first five questions again, but if you do… there is a heap more below.
