Sliding Doors: How Hawthorn will rue father-son miss as sun shines for Gold Coast

Gold Coast captain Noah Anderson's career would've been very different if not for 17 matches.

And no, I'm not talking about his own, but his father, Dean, who was a two-time premiership Hawthorn player.

Dean was drafted by the Hawks before the 1988 era and in the midst of one of the club's exceptionally successful periods. He claimed flags in his second and fourth seasons in the VFL.

But after five years at the Hawks, and more importantly, only 83 games, he ventured toward Moorabbin and St Kilda to continue his career, falling short of the father-son requirement of 100 matches.

Dean finished his career in 1996 after 150 games and 100 goals.

Cut to the 2019 National Draft, where Noah had begun making a name for himself as one of the most promising midfielders, dominating for Carey Grammar School and Oakleigh Chargers alongside best mate and star Matt Rowell.

Taken with Pick 2 by the perpetually struggling expansion club, who are yet to feature in September after making promises they cannot fulfil.

Anderson has quickly grown into a star of the competition, becoming a club champion for the Suns in 2023, turning umpire heads on Brownlow Medal night.

But 2025 has seen the ceiling raised, and as cliche as it sounds, the sky is the limit for Gold Coast's youngest captain.

Anderson was anointed the leader of the Suns amid a new era, reflected by a ruthless list management process in the past 18 months, an updated guernsey and an edge that seemingly has been absent since their inception in 2011.

Thursday night's performance by the son of a Hawks great, ironically against the brown and gold at TIO Stadium in Darwin, will leave Hawthorn fans screaming 'what if'.

Anderson registered a whopping 30.3 player rating points (according to Wheelo Ratings), 35 disposals (at 82.9 per cent efficiency), 10 inside 50s, 12 clearances, seven score involvements and a goal. His best output for 2025.

NOAH ANDERSON
Midfield

Gold Coast

ROUND 10 STATS

35
Disposals

5
Tackles

12
Clearances

The last two meetings against the Hawks have also seen the 24-year-old rub salt further into the wound, producing back-to-back best-on-ground performances in the eyes of both the umpires and coaches.

The Suns' eight-point victory over Hawthorn has them perched in second place with a game in hand (due to the postponement in Opening Round), claiming seven victories from nine starts.

Gold Coast appear destined to break the finals-less drought, but with Anderson steering, who's to say they couldn't go any further?

That must sting the Hawthorn faithful.