GOLD COAST made a splash in its inaugural AFL Women’s season, earning its place as the sole 2020 expansion side in this year’s finals series on the back of a 2-3-1 record. A raft of local, and exciting young talent was unearthed along the way, as the SUNS took to life at the elite level with aplomb. The newcomers’ never-say-die attitude, attack on the contest, and free style of play made them a great side to watch, with plenty of individual performers and moments to cast the eye back on in our season review.

RECORD: 4th (A), 2-3-1, 101.3%

RESULTS:

R1: lost to GWS by 1 point
R2: defeated Richmond by 11 points
R3: drew with Brisbane
R4: lost to North Melbourne by 13 points
R5: lost to Geelong by 20 points 
R6: defeated West Coast by 25 points
SF: lost to Fremantle by 70 points

You would be hard-pressed to find a side which had a more action-packed first three weeks, as the SUNS notched a loss, win, and draw in Rounds 1 to 3. Each game had massive talking points stem from it; with the low-scoring slug-fest against GWS going down to the wire in horrid conditions, the win over Richmond delivering the club its first premiership points, and the fighting draw with Brisbane making for a sensational maiden AFLW Q-Clash. Consecutive losses put a sight dampener on the fun, until the SUNS snuck into finals with a solid win over fellow newcomer, West Coast. A massive loss to Fremantle come finals time highlighted the gap between Gold Coast and the top sides, with plenty to work on yet.

SEASON HIGH: Snatching points in the inaugural Q-Clash

Games of firsts seldom disappoint, as proved by the SUNS in their first two outings, and the competition’s first-ever Q-Clash more than delivered. The result, albeit short of a win, showcased everything there is to like about Gold Coast’s season, with its fighting spirit helping the SUNS claw back to level pegging from over two goals down in a game which only featured eight majors. The perfectly linear 4.4 apiece scoreline was somewhat satisfying, but we will have to wait at least another year for the inaugural women’s Q-Clash winner.

SEASON LOW: Failing to fire in finals

For all the positives in Gold Coast’s 2020 effort, it would end on an unavoidably sour note as the SUNS were handed the competition’s second-biggest defeat in history. The 70-point loss to Fremantle was tight for a quarter of the contest, as the undefeated Dockers pulled away strongly while holding the SUNS scoreless in the final three terms. The gulf between the class of the two sides was truly exacerbated by the scoreboard, and this was the worst-possible end to an otherwise very impressive year for the newbies.

FIVE KEY PERFORMERS:

Jamie Stanton (17.1 disposals, 2.9 marks, 3.7 tackles, 2.1 rebound 50s, 3 inside 50s, 2 goals)

Highlighted before a game was even played as the SUNS’ classiest recruit, Stanton went on to prove as much on-field in leading her side for disposals, metres gained, contested possessions, clearances, score involvements, and inside 50s. The midfielder excelled as her club’s number one player, shouldering a great load of responsibility each week and performing well despite heavy opposition attention – see Round 2 against Richmond against Katie Brennan.

Lauren Aherns (14.7 disposals, 2.4 marks, 2.9 tackles, 3.4 rebound 50s)

Part of a crucial key defensive partnership alongside Jade Pregelj, Aherns was terrific in her first season at the elite level. Doubling her defensive duties with rebounding work on the ball, the 28-year-old led her side for rebound 50s and was only one of two SUNS to amass over 100 disposals for the year. Aherns’ cool head in the crises helped her side greatly, and truly justified her priority signing status.

Kate Surman (13.7 disposals, 2 marks, 5.1 tackles, 2.4 inside 50s, 3 goals)

Surman joined the SUNS with quite the reputation, having already earned priority selection and taken out the Player of the QW Winter Series award in 2019. The evasive and fearless inside midfielder worked brilliantly going both ways in her debut AFLW season, winning the ball at a good rate while also finding the goals across her seven outings. As a player who took on the game quite late, her development has been rapid.

Kalinda Howarth (10.1 disposals, 1.4 marks, 2.3 tackles, 1.9 inside 50s, 9 goals)

What a terrific story of success Howarth is, proving her worth at the top level after a one-year stint with Brisbane where she was delisted without playing a game. Fast-forward two years, and the exciting forward earned a Rising Star nomination in Round 3 after helping the SUNS claw back to a draw against her former club. Howarth would go on to back up the performance with a four-goal haul against West Coast, making the 20-year-old a prospect to watch.

Hannah Dunn (13.5 disposals, 2.2 marks, 5.5 tackles, 1 rebound 50, 1.3 inside 50s)

Another SUNS recruit who has prospered upon a second chance at the elite level is Dunn, who has been lauded for her persistence after being overlooked in three AFLW drafts. The 28-year-old has been a gun at local and state league level though, proving her worth for Gold Coast in 2020 as a hard-working midfielder who brings great consistency to the table. Dunn’s tackling presence was indicative of her side’s overall tone.

SURPRISE PACKET:

Jade Pregelj (11.9 disposals, 1.9 marks, 1.9 tackles, 3.4 rebound 50s)

One of the more shrewd mature-age pick-ups in the competiton as a whole was Pregelj, who starred in defence for the SUNS to earn selection in the All Australian squad. Having made waves as a promising junior, the defender has done just as much upon her return to the code as a 28-year-old, and was a key part of her side’s back five. Led the SUNS for intercept possessions, and was second for metres gained and contested marks.

YOUNG GUN:

Jacqui Yorston (13.9 disposals, 1.7 marks, 6.9 tackles, 1.3 rebound 50s, 2 goals)

Keen AFLW fans would have already been aware of Yorston’s talents after her debut season at Brisbane, and the 19-year-old remains one of the competition’s brightest prospects after another terrific season. At her best, Yorston mixes her talents going forward with punishing pressure around the ball in her midfielder-forward role, leading the SUNS for tackles while being second to Stanton for clearances.

VERDICT:

If you would have offered the SUNS a finals berth at the start of the season, they would have taken it in a heartbeat, so you can only really label their maiden campaign as a success. The newcomers showed great flair and tenacity, making them a fun side to watch as they took it to some quality opposition across seven games. With a squad stacked with young and developing local talent, the only way is up for the Queenslanders.