The Gold Coast SUNS will continue to challenge their players to take risks each time they run out to play with development coach Andy Lovell saying it’s crucial to the side's development.
“We absolutely encourage them to keep taking the game on, that’s the growth we are starting to see in our group and as a coaching group and as a club.”
Despite failing to put the Lions to the sword in QClash4, Lovell says there are encouraging signs of development with mistakes all part of the process.
We are seeing that improvement in small areas and small parts of the game and that’s one of them, our players being able to have the confidence to take the game on, we will never ever stop them from doing that at the expense of making mistakes.
While the SUNS smashed the Lions at the stoppages, turnovers cost the home side dearly as the visitors pegged back the SUNS lead after a number of near misses and turn overs.
“The result obviously wasn’t the way we wanted it, but we were really pleased with our ability to hang in the game and fight out the last quarter.”
“We haven’t been in too many games where we have had an opportunity to win and we kicked ourselves out of the game, all due respect to Brisbane who played a really strong game as well, but it was an opportunity for us to win as well there is no doubt about that and we have got to learn from that.”
You have got to take your chances in this game, it’s a tough game and a relentless industry so when you have your opportunity to kick straight and win you have to take them and so that’s a learning for us.
Lovell said despite the QClash result, the club's coaching staff remained committed to encouraging their players to take risks, make mistakes and learn from them.
“Three of the last four games, against Geelong, certainly against Richmond in Cairns and again on the weekend, when we have been challenged and found ourselves three goals down we have been able to respond really well and get back in the game and that’s been a really strong positive for us.”
The SUNS host the top of the table Sydney Swans at Metricon Stadium this Saturday night with the same mantra in place.
It’s natural for an inexperienced player or young person in life to go back into their shells if they have made a mistake, so our jobs as coaches is to be able to nurture them through that and help them understand that everyone makes mistakes and the only way to improve is to put yourself back in that situation.
Andy insisting that while the SUNS respect their rivals, they are looking forward to taking them on from the opening bounce at 7:40pm.
