Almanac Footy: On losing Izak Rankine and other thoughts from the Coast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Gold Coast Suns had no sooner completed their most successful season since joining the AFL than out of contract small forward Izak Rankine announced he wanted to be traded to Adelaide for the 2023 season.

 

It’s disappointing if for no other reason than he’s an exciting player who can do the improbable, and now he’ll kick those tricky goals wearing a different jumper.

 

Losing an out of contract player now is far less disturbing or destablising than it was a few years ago when a couple of players whose names shall never be mentioned walked out after being made co-captains of the club. But that’s in the past, and we’ve all moved on, haven’t we?

 

The Suns had managed to extend the contracts of every other regular senior player, and that’s a positive thing. The stories of a “go home” push that has arisen in some corners in the past couple of weeks don’t stand up to scrutiny.

 

As many other clubs could claim, with a little more luck in close finishes, we could have made the finals this year. But we didn’t have the luck. Or the composure at exactly the right moments. Either way, but let’s blame bad luck.

 

The Suns’ co-captains, Touk and Wittsy had excellent seasons, and lead the club inspirationally in the middle. Noah stepped up this year and is quickly becoming a crowd favourite, Alex Davies has taken a huge step forward, Mabior is exciting (and big), Collo does his stuff down back (even with most of the rest of the defence on crutches), and Brandon’s experience and cool head, along with his incisive kicking, is so important.

 

So, it looks pretty good for next year already. However, we will miss Izak’s je ne sais quoi (that’s my fancy bit). What he brings to the game is similar to Walla at Essendon, Aker at Brisbane or Cyril at Hawthorn. When he gets near the ball you can feel the crowd, supporters of both teams, move in anticpation, because something is going to happen, maybe. It’s exciting, and worth a lot to a club.

 

The AFLW team enter their third campaign, having already played in the finals in 2020, and the men’s VFL team have just won their first final at their first appearance. The club topped 20000 members for the first time in 2022. Dewy, who the southern media had replaced midyear, has had his contract extended; a huge statement that recognises what has been done and how close more success might be. You would have to think that things look quite positive for the Gold Coast Suns.

 

One last thing: how good was that win over Richmond in Round 17?

 

 

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Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

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