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By Michael Whiting
After another sluggish first quarter against Adelaide at the weekend, the focus for Gold Coast SUNS on Monday morning was on getting on the front foot.
The GC SUNS were second to the ball in the opening term against the Crows and were smashed 9-1 in the centre clearances, 26-7 in the inside 50s and were lucky to be down by just 31 points at the first change.
It was a theme that was all too familiar in 2011.
Against Adelaide they battled hard after the first-term thumping before giving up the game's final four goals – but it was too late, the horse had bolted.
One of the GC SUNS best on Saturday was small defender Jarrod Harbrow, who racked up 17 disposals, and along with Melbourne recruit Matthew Warnock, led an under-siege backline.
Harbrow was at a loss to explain why Gold Coast SUNS started so slowly, but said they had to learn to be more proactive than reactive.
"You can plan as much as you want but when you go out there and can sense it's starting to happen (losing momentum), it's a matter of talking," he said.
"That's got to happen all over the ground and we have to identify it out on the footy field and make sure they don't get a roll on.
"Sometimes they get a roll on and it's too late, we react too late, we have to be proactive and get on the front foot."
It echoes sentiments post-match from Harbrow's skipper Gary Ablett, who said players should not wait for instructions from the coaches' box and needed to switch things up themselves.
Harbrow said the GC SUNS had to be hungrier to win the ball first, because once they did that, the defensive structures had stood up well.
He said it was not just experienced players who needed to show the way.
"When they kick a few early goals, that's when the team has to knuckle down.
"You could say that has to start from the senior boys to drive that, but I think the group as it is, the young lads are just as important to show that leadership.
"That's where we are as a footy club, those guys have to fast-track really quick to become leaders of the footy club."
Trent McKenzie and Sam Day both got through their second reserves matches at the weekend after recovering from injury and will be available for selection when the GC SUNS play St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
