The Gold Coast SUNS NEAFL side played a practice match against Aspley on the weekend, emerging 11.18 (84) to 5.7 (37) winners.

The SUNS had 13 listed players on the park and the club’s assistant coaches have given their appraisal on the performance of each player.

Defenders – Nick Malcesk

Corey Ellis – Corey played down back and performed his role well. He was strong in the contest and used the ball cleanly out of defensive 50 with good decision-making.

Chris Burgess - Burgo was our key defender and lined up on Aspley’s best forward. He also played his role for the team, giving us a good contest, and gained plenty of metres when he had the ball with his long kick.

Jacob Heron – We played Speedy a bit deeper in defence this week which was a little different to what he is used to. His role was to defend Aspley’s small forwards and he did well to be strong in the contest. He linked up well at times to drive us out of defensive 50 with run and carry.

Luke Towey – It was Luke’s first ever game of AFL and he was very excited pre-game. He did some good things in the game especially in the contest with some strong tackles and chases. He will continue to improve each game he plays which is exciting for us.

Midfielders – Tim Clarke

George Horlin-Smith – It was a consistent game from George playing both as an inside midfielder and on the wing. He helped support the defenders with his defensive run and was terrific in offence helping set up a number of scoring opportunities and hitting the scoreboard three times himself. George’s leadership stood out all game with a younger NEAFL team.

Josh Schoenfeld – It was a very balanced game from Josh playing both inside midfield and on the wing. He was one of the players who set the scene in the first quarter with his attack on the ball and player. It was great to see Josh finish the game with 10 tackles. He continues to work hard in transition and was one of our better offensive players with over 25 touches.

Sam Fletcher – Sam was captain for the day and led from the front with his attack on the ball and player. Sam had nine tackles in two quarters of football. We’re looking forward to Sam’s hard edge next time we play in two weeks.

Matt Conroy – Matt gave our midfielders first use with his ruck work over the smaller Aspley rucks. His follow-up efforts and aggression was again a strength of his game. He got to more contests around the ground this week, and the next step for Sauce is to start marking more of these balls to assert his aerial presence on games.

Forwards – Ashley Prescott

Patrick Murtagh – Patty played a good big man’s game, competing strongly in the air and crashing the packs as a key forward. The small forwards benefited greatly by this and worked hard to crumb the ball at his feet. He rotated through the ruck position and gave the midfielders first use with his tap work & athleticism. 

Jy Farrar – It was a very lively performance with creative ball use and strong marking from Jy this week. His efforts to provide forward 50 pressure was a highlight of his game. We’re looking forward to more of this from Jy in the coming weeks.

Malcolm Rosas Jnr – Mally played with AFL intensity for 4 quarters. He gave us very good drive with his run and quick reactions which allowed him to be an option for his teammates. He also had a great appetite to chase and tackle which we were really pleased with. 

Josh Corbett – One of Josh’s strengths is his endurance and he showed this on the weekend, running at an AFL level. This saw him take lots of marks and be a constant option for defenders and midfielders coming down the ground. His leadership and voice set a great example and helped his teammates.

Hewago Paul Oea – Ace was one of our better runners with both his defensive and offensive run a standout. He really set the standard for us with his chase, tackle and ability to apply pressure to the opposition.