After managing only three games last season, Gold Coast big man Daniel Gorringe has his eyes firmly set on making every post a winner in 2015.
The former No. 10 draft pick has produced an eye-catching pre-season to date, highlighted by his victory in the SUNS' 2km time trial following the Christmas interval.
With an off-season focused on a potential move away from Metricon Stadium now behind him, Gorringe is concentrating on proving his value at the elite level.
“My main aim now is to prove to the SUNS that I can play — and I want to play,” Gorringe told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
“I love it here, we have a new coach with ‘Rocket’ (Rodney Eade) and I’ve enjoyed working with him.”
Since arriving at the SUNS via South Australian powerhouse Norwood, Gorringe has struggled to secure a regular berth in the senior side.
Injuries in his first couple of seasons restricted his ability to stay on the field, but after an indifferent 2014 campaign, Gorringe has acknowledged the importance of this season for the direction of his career.
“I’ve laid some good foundations through the pre-season, so it’s going to be a big year for my future,” Gorringe said.
“Which is exciting and a bit nerve-racking at the same time but I’m always up for a challenge.”
The ruck department on the Gold Coast boasts some of the more exciting young prospects in the game. The challenge for the coaching and medical staff at Carrara has been keeping the crop of tall timber injury free.
Tom Nicholls and Zac Smith have been let down by their bodies in recent seasons, with the pair managing 10 and six games respectively last year. Both are now fit and firing, forcing Gorringe to contemplate a move elsewhere to secure a regular spot.
The 199cm tall has nominated a potential switch to the midfield to help him enjoy a breakout season at the SUNS. An eyebrow-raising proposition given his height and the wealth of depth in the engine room, but given his aerobic capacity, a move to the onball division may prove to be an intelligent decision.
“I think my best position is probably somewhere in the midfield where I can run and open up and take the game on,” he said.
“I’m not too tall for the middle and I’m pretty mobile, as mobile as the other mids.
“Everyone has this perception that if you’re tall you can’t run around. But I reckon I’m right to be in there and do what they’re doing."
