A silver lining out of the debilitating injury dilemma at the Gold Coast SUNS is the invaluable growth some of the young players are receiving. With an injury list crawling down the stairs and around the block, players like Touk Miller, Henry Schade and Adam Saad have been afforded far more exposure than they otherwise would have.
 
In an ideal world, first-year players and those without experience are given a strong grounding in the AFL with seasoned stars and veterans chaperoning them during the infancy. But an ideal world doesn’t exist, especially in southern Queensland in the year 2015.
 
Despite an obvious preference to develop young players amongst seasoned, well-drilled soldiers, Gold Coast coach Rodney Eade has been satisfied with the performances of his young troops, regardless of their greenness. And when the tide turns in the SUNS favour from injury perspective, the exposure of young talent now, will be an advantage down the track.
 
“Normally when younger players come in they’ve got middle-aged support and older-aged support around them, so there’s not much of that for those guys,” Eade told the media at a press conference on Friday at Metricon Stadium.
 
“And I’ve been really pleased with those players you’ve mentioned being able to stand up, especially the first two Henry and Touk. I think Adam Saad’s another one that’s done really well.
 
“But there are some younger players who are playing at this stage that are starting to show some signs. I think players like Jesse Lonergan, we’ve had some big jobs for him but he’s only played three games in defence.
 
“So those players are getting a real appetite for it, but hopefully they’re being taught the right way along the way so once we get those others players back they’ll have some really good support for them.”
 
One player that has exceeded expectations in his first season is Miller. The former Calder Cannons and Vic Metro captain is already looming as a draft steal after being acquired with pick No. 29 in last November’s National Draft.
 
The work ethic of the teenager has been lauded internally since round one and it has been something we have simply become accustomed to. On Friday, Eade used the media forum to once again praise Miller’s insatiable thirst for work.
 
“I think Touk’s been good all year. Really for a player who’s in his first season, his first pre-season, he’s really outworked most of our players,” Eade said.
 
“His ability to keep on running, even last week we had an edit we showed he ran over 150m in one passage of player and he had four possessions, he’s ran past about eight of our players over various stages.
 
“I mean his work rate is just enormous for a kid. He’s been fantastic for us.”