One team to get off the mark in QClash 9

Queensland football has been one of the biggest losers in the opening month of the season, with both the Gold Coast SUNS and Brisbane Lions yet to register a victory in 2015. On top of a winless start, both sides have produced performances they would rather forget. Just look back to last weekend for an example. The ninth edition of the QClash presents an opportunity for one side to move clear of the foot of the ladder; to shed the anchor and kick-start an early season revival. That is, unless we have a repeat of the NAB Challenge fixture back in March which resulted in a draw. But, for a season that looked so promising only a month ago, Rodney Eade’s side have a great opportunity to start swinging the momentum in their favour. At 0-4 the SUNS desperately need four premiership points to breath life into a season that has quickly turned into a disaster.

Injury toll mounting at Metricon Stadium

The casualty ward inside Metricon Stadium is mounting by the week and when you consider some of the names now sidelined, you can start to find excuses for Gold Coast’s poor start to 2015 – not that you should. On top of dual Brownlow medallist Gary Ablett and young star Jaeger O’Meara, you can now add last year’s best and fairest winner David Swallow and prized recruit Nick Malceski. Not many sides could cope with losing four of their best players so early in a campaign, but they are the cards the SUNS have been dealt. It’s a cruel game sometimes. Whilst O’Meara won’t play again in 2015 and Swallow will miss at least two months, the other two may return in the next fortnight. Injuries aside, the effort and intensity displayed in the opening month has not been anywhere near the standard expected.

Two debutants earn a spot after banging on the door

Injuries and poor form have opened the door for a small helping of feel good stories on the eve of Saturday’s crucial QClash. After more than three years on the SUNS list, key defender Henry Schade will make his long-awaited AFL debut after forcing Eade and the match committee to take notice on the back of consistent performances in the reserves. As Eade has repeatedly said in recent weeks, NEAFL form will be rewarded and players producing the desired effort and attitude will play senior football. Well, the coach has been true to his word. Along with Schade, SANFL recruit Josh Glenn will join a growing list of mature-aged rookies who have been plucked from state league obscurity. Time will tell if he can join recent mature-aged success stories Dane Rampe, Patrick Ambrose, Sam Dwyer and Kane Mitchell in football folklore. Hard-nosed midfielder Jesse Lonergan is another player who has been on the fringe of selection during the opening month. He was rewarded for his form in the NEAFL with a spot against the Lions. With just 13 games next to his name, Lonergan’s selection highlights the wave of youth and inexperience running out for the SUNS this weekend.

Depleted SUNS midfield in for a Lion size test

The midfield depth at Metricon Stadium will be tested in the coming weeks with a plethora of first-choice on-ballers unavailable through injury. Brisbane will get the first chance to test this weakness on Saturday night with their midfield division bursting with class. Revered leader Tom Rockliff returned from a sickening rib and punctured lung injury last weekend and although he wasn’t anywhere near his best, he will no doubt be better for the run. Daniel Rich is now a full month back from a knee reconstruction and showing glimpses of his damaging best. Former Collingwood premiership star Dayne Beams has settled in comfortably at the Gabba, averaging 27 possessions, seven clearances and five inside 50s. Whilst he hasn’t been at his game breaking best just yet, Beams have already demonstrated his immense value. Add wildcard former Cat Allen Christensen, Jack Redden and last year’s Rising Star winner Lewis Taylor and the midfield depth at the Lions is first rate. With no Ablett, O’Meara or Swallow, in-form duo Michael Rischitelli and Dion Prestia will be required to continue their brilliant start to 2015. The pair is averaging 28.5 disposals each per game to be ranked equal 14th in the competition for average possessions. Harley Bennell is one player who will need to step up in the absence of Swallow this weekend with several media analysts putting the blowtorch on the West Australian this week. An area of concern for the SUNS has been there inability to get their hands on the ball. At the close of round four, Gold Coast rank 18th in the competition for disposals differential (- 62.0), uncontested possession differential (- 58.5) and 17th for total average disposals (328.8).

Match committee choose Nicholls to do battle with Martin

The experiment with two ruckmen lasted only one week with the match committee electing to go with just the one big man against Brisbane. After playing in the opening four rounds, Zac Smith has been left out of the side, with Eade favouring Tom Nicholls one out in the ruck. Lion’s ruckman Stefan Martin presents one of the toughest tasks in the game, with his all-round style a challenge to combat given he covers the ground so well. After emerging as one of the premier ruckmen in the AFL in the back half of last year, the former Melbourne utility has picked up where he left off, averaging 17.8 possessions, 28.3 hitouts, 4.3 inside 50s per week and an average gain of 314.8 metres per game. Nicholls was the late inclusion against Greater Western Sydney last Saturday, thus no song and dance was made about his long-awaited return to senior football following a posterior cruciate ligament injury that ended his season in round seven last year. Shane Mumford one week, Martin the next. Talk about a tough return to football. The show of faith by Eade and the match committee should instil confidence in the highly skilled tap ruckman.

Rising star Miller building by the week

One of the few positives to emerge in a bleak month of football at Metricon Stadium has been the form of Touk Miller. In the space of four games, the young midfielder has gradually improved each week, culminating with 22 possessions last weekend against the Giants. If he wasn’t already in the discussion for Rising Star calculations, start talking about it now. Whilst the buzz has been around key position pair Jesse Hogan and Cam McCarthy, as well as Isaac Heeney, Angus Brayshaw and Patrick Cripps, if Miller played in the southern part of this land his last two performances would have been lauded. With a gaping hole now in the SUNS midfield, the opportunity for Miller to spend more time in the middle presents itself. Although admittedly a small sample size, Miller’s form in the last fortnight would suggest he can continue to increase his output with more exposure at the highest level. Rising Star smoky? Maybe.