Being young and starved of experience can no longer be used as an excuse according to Gold Coast SUNS GM of Football Operations Marcus Ashcroft.
On the eve of season five, the SUNS are poised to pursue September football for the first time in the clubs short history. The core group at Metricon Stadium is entering their fifth season and are at a level of maturity - both in terms of age and football experience – where they are up to the task of performing on a weekly basis.
Ashcroft believes the young crop of players on the SUNS list, namely the players who have been with the club since its inception, have had enough exposure to the game at the highest level to make a significant impact this season. And essentially lead a ladder uprising in 2015.
“We're approaching that stage now where there’s no excuses. They’ve had enough time, they’ve played enough footy, they’ve had enough years in the system to really be a leader and I guess cope with the pressures of the week to week competition the AFL is,” Ashcroft told Crocmedia’s Sportsday on Monday evening.
“I guess there is no excuses now. Most of our guys are entering their fifth year in the AFL and most of the guys are entering their sixth year having come in the VFL year back in 2010 as 17 year olds.
“We’ve just only recently re-signed Matt Shaw and Trent McKenzie, but they’re the core of that group. When their contracts are up for renewal again in the next two or three years they would have been here for eight years and they are 25, 26 year olds.”
Foundation SUNS Trent McKenzie and Matt Shaw re-sign
Rodney Eade has been steering the ship at the SUNS since the beginning of pre-season in November and has rapidly gone about stamping his philosophy on the group.
The 56-year-old’s desire to raise the standards of the playing group has been well documented during his short tenure in southern Queensland. But, it is his balanced approach to dealing with each individual, which is driving the group under Eade.
“He’s one of a kind and one of those guys who’s been at two AFL clubs now and has really got some great experience. He’s one of those guys that’s to the point, really hard in his stance on behaviours and expectations which have been set by him and the playing group,” Ashcroft said.
“He’ll also wrap his arm around with you and have a bit of fun with you, he’s a bit of a larrikin as well. I think he’s got the balance of both and basically our guys are motivated and really enthused to play well for Rocket.
“They’re training well under him at the moment now and I guess where now looking forward to seeing how that comes out when games start next weekend.”
