Page 42 - AFL Queensland 2014 in Review

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As expected, the SUNS rapidly improved their on-field position, bettering their eight wins from 2013 by belting the team song ten times; cracking double digits in the win column for the first time in the club’s short history.
An impressive 7-2 start saw the boys from the holiday strip send an ominous warning to the AFL competition, as an emphatic third quarter performance against the Western Bulldogs in round ten saw the team move into the top four on the AFL ladder.
Unfortunately, ambitions of stamping themselves as the code’s new powerhouse quickly took a turn for the worse, as disappointing performances against the Brisbane Lions, Carlton and West Coast late in the year resulted in the SUNS falling short of a maiden finals.
Injuries to key personnel also conspired against Gold Coast, none more so than to dual Brownlow medal winner Gary Ablett, when a shoulder dislocation in round 17 against Collingwood saw the star captain undergo season-ending surgery.
Highlighting this impact, list & strategy manager Scott Clayton and General Manager of Football Operations Marcus Ashcroft sought rigorously to improve the team’s playing roster, successfully targeting All Australian defender Nick Malceski and former Hawthorn VFL premiership player Mitch
GOLD
COAST Hallahan.
SUNS REPORT
With 2015 promising to be the best yet at the SUNS, new coach Rodney Eade, who had successful stints at the Sydney Swans and Western Bulldogs, will oversee the club through its next phase of growth, development and success.
GARY ABLETT BROWNLOW NIGHT
He might have missed out on a third Brownlow medal, but that didn’t stop Gary Ablett from leaving his mark on footy’s night of nights.
The two-time “Chas” winner surged to the top of the leader board, turning in five best on-field performances in the opening nine rounds.
While he didn’t walk away with the award, Ablett etched his name further into footy folklore with a couple of record-setting efforts.
His 13th vote, which was racked up by round seven, saw him move past the magical 200 career vote barrier, becoming just the fifth player to reach that milestone.
He polled 22 votes in his 15 matches played, but his 14th vote marked the most ever by a player at that point of the count, a flow only halted by the round eight bye.
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Ablett’s fifth three-vote performance in round nine also marked his 46th best-
Gold Coast’s 2014 season is a tale of two halves.