The Gold Coast Suns are a “serious footy team,” with the club’s band of breakout stars driving it to new levels, according to Fox Footy pundits.
The Suns’ win over Adelaide in Darwin marked the club’s fifth win from its last seven games to sit 11th on the ladder and equal with the eighth-placed Cats ahead of their mid-season bye.
It came in a game Stuart Dew’s side kicked nine-straight goals as part of a huge 55-point turnaround over Adelaide at TIO Stadium.
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Kangaroos legend David King was full of praise for what the Suns are building on Fox Footy’s The First Crack, saying “I hope people recognise what we’re seeing.”
Fox Footy commentator Anthony Hudson highlighted how Touk Miller’s injury blow has helped open up opportunities for the club’s next line of youngsters to “step up and lead the way,” exemplified by gun midfield duo Matt Rowell, 21, and Noah Anderson, 22.
King lauded Rowell and Anderson for elevating their games to new heights – and taking the team with them – leading Gold Coast’s contested possession dominance over Adelaide (+39).
“(Rowell’s) the red-headed monster, going crazy. He was angry at half-time … he had an all-time second half – seven clearances. He drew free kick after free kick because of his proactive first step,” King said on Fox Footy.
“How far can these guys take you? I look at Matty Rowell and think what a standard setter and star.
“It’s more the attitude and the way he plays than just the flat numbers.”
King meanwhile believes Anderson is a “potential Brownlow medallist” amid his “sensational form,” with the star on-baller racking up 28 disposals with two goals against the Crows.
He highlighted vision from the weekend where Anderson perfectly read a clearance and streamed forward into goal.
Suns fight back to down the Crows! | 02:26
“Here he is at a clearance, this is not cheating, this is reading the play … as soon as they win it, this is what you want from your midfielders and damaging kickers,” King said.
“He stays involved, he pushes forward and becomes a goalicker. I love goalkicking mids – only (Christian) Petracca, (Jordan) De Goey and (Connor) Rozee have kicked more goals as a true midfielder.
“For me, he’s All-Australian at the moment. His first half was great, otherwise the game would’ve been blown, and he stepped up when they needed him in the third and fourth.”
Suns forwards Jack Lukosius and Ben King, both 22, were also crucial in the win over the Crows.
Lukosius booted an equal career-high five goals with three contested marks to go with an outright career-high 10 contested possessions, while King added three majors on the night.
Gold Coast Suns Press Conference | 09:55
For dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna, the Suns have found their forward pairing of the future with the duo.
“It was the coming of age of Jack Lukosius and Ben King,” Montagna said on The First Crack.
“It was those two boys that competed in the air – the contest and the winning of the ball that turned the game. They went from 35 points down to 20 points up off the back of these two blokes.
“They are the two spearheads that are going to take the Gold Coast Suns to where they want to get to.
“They can now rely on Lukoius and King to stand up when they need them and I thought it was a huge performance to turn the momentum in their favour.”