After the five-point victory over the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium, the team at SUNS Media has broken down a few key takeaways from the match.

Even contributions

Stuart Dew has said it all pre-season. He’s not looking for any stars to carry the team, he wants everyone to stand up and play their role. That’s what the SUNS did on the weekend.

Just looking at the even spread of possessions across the SUNS’ midfield and half-back lines reflect this. Fiorini (27), Weller (26), Bowes (25), Miller (24), Martin (23), Hanley (22), Miles (21) and Harbrow (18) all shared the load with disposals. Up forward, the goal-scorers also spread the love with seven players in total hitting the scoreboard with a major.

Defence stands tall

There were question marks over the SUNS defence heading into the season, but those doubts have all but disappeared after an impressive start to the year. Sam Collins and Jack Hombsch have integrated seamlessly into the backline and are making the most of their opportunities.

Pearce Hanley and Jarrod Harbrow look a dangerous duo rebounding off half-back and Charlie Ballard has raised eyebrows with how much he has developed in such a short time. The Bulldogs had 66 entries inside their forward 50 but only managed to score 23 times, in part due to the defensive setup by the SUNS. The defenders were also selfless when the ball was in dispute, with Jesse Joyce, Hombsch and Collins all recording over five one-percenters for the match.

Efficiency inside 50 

Building on the point above, the SUNS were far more efficient in attack than their Bulldogs counterparts. The SUNS had just 48 inside 50 entries compared to the Dogs’ 66, but equalled the scoring shots at 23 apiece. 

The likes of Peter Wright, Chris Burgess and Jack Lukosius led up to the football well, but if they didn’t take a mark were able to bring the ball to ground to give the smaller midfielders and forwards a chance to score a goal. Players like Darcy Macpherson and Jack Bowes were able to capitalise on this with quick goals after the ball had hit the deck.

There’s still plenty to work on for the SUNS who currently sit ninth on the AFL ladder. The club will have the opportunity to make it three wins in a row this weekend and build from some solid performances when they take on Carlton at Metricon Stadium this Sunday.