Skill execution hurt, but effort present all night

When you consider the reality the Gold Coast SUNS had only 24 players to choose from last weekend, you can understand Rodney Eade’s praise following his side’s 41-point loss to Adelaide. With the Crows boasting a side comprising of Patrick Dangerfield, Taylor Walker, Rory Sloane, Sam Jacobs and last year’s All Australian’s Daniel Talia and Brodie Smith, the gulf in class was the difference on Saturday night. Not the effort. Poor skill execution proved dire for the SUNS, with Adelaide kicking 9.9 from turnovers to record the third highest score from this area of the game across round six. The competition average for percentage of scores attributed to turnovers is 20.6 %. At Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast conceded 29.5% to highlight this area of concern. With an abundance of class missing against the Crows, endeavour and effort only propelled the SUNS so far. Eade’s side may have won the contested ball (+5) and narrowly lost the tackle count (-1), but again it was poor skill execution and ball movement which came back to hurt.

Mr Consistent at it again

If there is one player who has stepped up during the SUNS' tumultuous start to the season it’s Dion Prestia. If you are looking for a definition of consistent, or reliable, look no further than the little No. 10. The gap between Prestia’s best and worse is minute. In the first six rounds of the season he hasn’t had fewer than 27 possessions, nor greater than 29. Talk about ultra consistent. He is ranked eighth in the competition for total disposals (170) and 11th for average disposals (28.3). Despite the absence of Gary Ablett, Jaeger O’Meara and David Swallow, the SUNS have remained a forced around the stoppages due to Prestia. The clearance specialist leads this statistic in the competition with Sydney’s Josh Kennedy, at an average of 8.7 clearances per game. On Saturday night, Prestia only played 65% of the game due to a hit in the last quarter, which forced him from the ground with minor concussion. Had it not been for that, he would have undoubtedly finished with more than 28 possessions and seven clearances.

Raines and Sexton put the breaks on star duo

Andrew Raines and Alex Sexton were both handed the difficult tasks of quelling All Australian’s on Saturday night. And both executed the coaching staff’s plans clinically. In his first appearance for the SUNS, veteran tagger Raines was sent to Patrick Dangerfield at the first bounce. From there, he rarely left his side for the remainder of the evening, trailing him around Metricon Stadium like a robot. After collecting 36 touches and 13 clearances in the Showdown a week earlier, Raines kept the Crows superstar to just 17 disposals and two clearances, whilst at the same time collecting 17 disposals of his own. Almost a year since his last appearance at AFL level, Raines didn’t miss a beat performing the role with aplomb. A role he helped pioneer in this game. As for Sexton, Eade labelled him as the SUNS' best player in his post game press conference and with good reason. He was handed the unenviable task of stopping dangerous playmaker Brodie Smith. A man who if given enough space can cut opposition sides apart with his penetrating right foot. But, he wasn’t allowed to flourish on Saturday night, with Sexton performing his duty and keeping Smith to just 13 possessions and next to no impact. Two workmanlike performances, by two soldiers.

The rise of Adam Saad continues 

The football landscape was reminded once again of one of the great stories emerging this season. His name is Adam Saad and there were definitely no signs of complacency after being rewarded for his QClash performance with a Rising Star nomination. It’s hard to believe that this mature-aged rookie was plying his trade for Coburg in the VFL last year. And it’s even harder to believe that a man with just six games of experience can play with such dare and confidence. Once again on the weekend, Saad provided plenty of dash from deep inside defensive 50. At times you almost held your breath when he took the game on, darting past opponents like a downhill skier on the slopes of Aspen. Saad finished with an equal career-high 26 possessions at an incredible disposal efficiency rate of 92.3%. His last two weeks continuing to sound his trumpet for Rising Star recognition. Something that appears to be gaining momentum by the game. You would be hard pressed to find a mature-aged rookie who has had a bigger impact since Fremantle’s Michael Barlow burst onto the scene in 2010.

Put Miller in the Rising Star discussion now

Whilst all the buzz has been about Saad in recent weeks, another SUNS young gun has gone about his business with little fanfare or noise. Like Saad, Touk Miller has played every game this season and would be right up the pointy end of the best and fairest after six rounds. His approach to the game has been lauded by Eade in several forums, with the Gold Coast coach openly thrilled with his frenetic harassment of opposition ball carriers. In the last few weeks, with the midfield cupboard bare, Miller has spent more and more time in the SUNS engine room. He was one of Gold Coast’s best players against the Crows, collecting 21 possessions, five inside 50s and four tackles. But it was more than just pure numbers, with his strength over the ball and smart decision making resulting in seven score involvements (4th most) and keeping the SUNS in the contest. With Saad generating plenty of discussion in Rising Star debates, Miller shouldn’t be far behind him. Patrick Cripps, Cam McCarthy, Jesse Hogan, Angus Brayshaw and Isaac Heeney are widely tipped as the main contenders, but keep an eye on the progress of the two SUNS emerging stars.

Rocket satisfied with last quarter fight

48 points separated both sides at 3/4 time with the game all but over and it appeared like the Crows might finish with a flurry against a depleted SUNS outfit. Eddie Betts and Taylor Walker would have been salivating at the thought of fattening up their goal tallies. But, to Rodney Eade’s satisfaction, his side didn’t roll over and take it from the Crows in the final term. Instead, they ran out the game strongly, winning the last quarter 5.3 to 4.4 to salvage some sort of pride. It was a fact not lost on Eade during his post game press conference. And given the absence of six of the side’s best players in Ablett, O’Meara, Swallow, Nick Malceski, Harley Bennell and Jack Martin, effort was always going to be measuring device of the performance. Take six of the best players out of any side in the competition and the effect would be catastrophic. Eade’s demanded a baseline of effort throughout his short tenure, and that’s exactly what he got on Saturday night. Right until the final siren.