The Gold Coast SUNS started their 2016 season stunningly, winning its opening three games to prompt many pundits to announce them as finals contenders.
However over the last month, the SUNS have dropped their last four games.
Injuries have struck the Gold Coast once again with 31 players having been used at the top level already; equal 3rd most in the AFL behind only Collingwood and Richmond. It’s exposed the SUNS’ depth players to senior football, some of who haven’t responded to the call.
Coach Rodney Eade admitted his side needs to develop that depth, but also some resilience in the face of adversity with a tough stretch of football coming up.
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“I suppose the start of this year was encouraging. It probably shows underneath we haven’t got a lot of depth,” Eade told Melbourne radio station SEN on Monday morning.
“Most teams in today’s footy aren’t going to cope with a lot of injuries. We’ve got to develop that depth and persevere with them until some players come back.
“But having said that as well, we’ve got to develop some resilience. The lack of confidence probably in the Geelong game after half time was alarming.
“We made a lot of mistakes on Saturday night too which was probably confidence with a few of the younger players so we’ve got to develop that resilience and a lot of that consistent effort even if results don’t go the right way so that’s the next step we’ve got to dig deep into.”
Eade said his coaching staff needs to teach the SUNS playing group about the basics of football, primarily effort in the contest and the associated pressure and intensity that comes with it.
The back half of 2015 was a prime example of what effort can deliver, with an undermanned Gold Coast side competitive in most games against far stronger opposition on paper.
“The elements are teach and educate what the basics are. You always hear players and coaches say we’ve got to get back to basics and a lot of people just parrot that, they hear that,” Eade said.
“What the basics of footy are is things that are in their control. Their effort as far as the contest and putting pressure on the opposition and being able to follow instructions.
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“If they do that, their confidence is going to start to come back. I suppose in cricket terms it’s playing straight rather than trying to hit fours and sixes, you just get the ones and twos and just slowly build so we’ve just got to do that.
“Some players will play themselves out of the system and train themselves out of the system while others will be able to grow in confidence and be able to grab their opportunity so we’re again at that stage with probably 10-11 out.
“But it is what it is and we’re going to have to develop that and that’s our role as coaches, being able to coach them.”
