When Damien Hardwick arrived at the Suns, he made a statement, bold and clear.
"80 per cent of our first premiership side is sitting in this room right now."
This statement for a club that has never seen September action, let alone take its place on the biggest stage, was an outlandish call.
Although, that's until you look at Gold Coast's list on paper. It's hard to say the three-time premiership coach would be wrong.
In defence, there was the ever-reliable Sam Collins and Charlie Ballard, as well as raw talent Mac Andrew.
The midfield is one of the AFL's most stacked. Skipper Touk Miller positions alongside previous co-captain Jarrod Witts in the ruck, and both have a wealth of experience, but have quickly been overshadowed by the star duo of Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson. Don't forget how quickly Sam Flanders proved himself in the midfield last season, too.
In the forward line, there's Coleman Medal fancy Ben King, plus former Saint Ben Long. Yet the scariest prospect could perhaps be their youth.
Jed Walter will develop into a key forward pairing with King, while Dustin Martin-prototype Bailey Humphrey has continued to ascend into mainstream conversation. Ruckman Ned Moyle is patiently waiting in the wings for his time to shine, while Bodhi Uwland has emerged as a reliable halfback flanker.
The list was well and truly primed for finals contention. But, in regular Gold Coast fashion, a finals appearance escaped them. The Suns placed 13th, failing to record a winning record on the year.
It was a disappointing outcome, given Gold Coast's dominance at their Carrara and Darwin fortresses, but the Suns just couldn't win on the road.
Hardwick made his disappointment known, remarking the club needed to "grow the f**k up" after they had one of their many away losses to North Melbourne in Round 17. The Suns would only win once at a rival's venue in 2024, sealed only after the siren by a heroic kick from Andrew.
"I'm angry, to be fair. As a footy club, we've got to grow the f*** up." โ๏ธ
Gold Coast Suns coach Damien Hardwick has been left fuming after seeing his side get upset by the Kangaroos.
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But in the words of Hardwick in the announcement of his signing, the premiership team was still only "80 per cent" aligned. So, the Suns went and secured their other 20 per cent.
In major off-season moves, Gold Coast traded for and signed the talents of Elliott Himmelberg, Daniel Rioli and John Noble through the free agency and trade period in October. While it meant the exits of Jack Lukosius and Rory Atkins to the Power, Hardwick brought in two run-and-gun half-backs to fuel his counterattacking gameplan seen with Richmond's premiership-winning mosquito fleet.
The Suns Academy continues to flourish too, with Leo Lombard officially being drafted to the club after winning a VFL premiership with Gold Coast in 2023 at just 16 years of age.
With a bold rebrand made, and a list build as strong as the early premiership contenders, all eyes turned to Gold Coast once again pre-season with the same question that has plagued their entire existence: Will the Suns make the eight?
In 2025, the odds have never been more likely.
The Suns are 5-1 after six games, one game short compared to the rest of the competition given the Opening Round's clash postponement until Round 24, but besides a shock loss to Richmond, Gold Coast have been flawless.
So what's really been behind their rise to premiership contention, let alone a finals appearance?
The 20 per cent
As aforementioned, Hardwick deemed that Gold Coast's list was 80 per cent ready to contend in 2024. In 2025, that figure would be closing in on 100, and undoubtedly the additional 20 per cent has worked wonders in their favour.
Although the Suns average the fewest rebound 50s in the competition in 2025, the Suns still average the sixth-most scores originating from their defensive half, as well as recording the third-most kicking chains from their defensive 50 that lead to a score.
In other words, when Gold Coast are given the opportunity to rebound, they do so extremely effectively.
It has been a stark improvement from 2024, in which the Suns ranked 13th for transitions from the defensive 50 to a scoring shot.
| Statistic | Gold Coast Team Average and Ranking 2024 | Gold Coast Team Average and Ranking 2025 |
| Scores from defensive half | 33.2 (10th) | 37.0 (6th) |
| All kicking chains leading to scores | 19.5 (12th) | 27.0 (1st) |
| Kicking chains from D50 leading to scores | 8.6 (13th) | 11.9 (3rd) |
This turnaround has stemmed from their recruits off half-back, Rioli and Noble. Rioli is ranked sixth for inside 50s per game by a defender (averaging 3.3), while Noble is ranked 18th in the league (2.8).
The most influential half-backs in attack are those who record over 2.5 inside 50s and 4.5 rebound 50s per game - last year that club consisted of just six players, Dan Houston, Nick Blakey, Lachie Whitfield, Jordan Clark, Dayne Zorko and Karl Amon.
Four of those players featured in the All-Australian team, while just Amon missed out on an AA squad nomination.
In 2025, that club continues to consist of those six, except Houston, while Richmond's Jayden Short, Sydney's Matthew Roberts, and St Kilda's Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera have joined at the end of Round 7.
Had Noble recorded just one more rebound 50 across his six appearances this season, he too would be in the elite upper echelon of half-back flankers, highlighting his contribution to the Gold Coast team.
The Young Brigade
There has also been an uptick in development for the young crew in the all-red kit.
As expected at AFL level, providing experience to youngsters will only assist their emergence at the top flight, and a couple of seasons of development is beginning to pay dividends in 2025.
Humphrey is averaging a goal per game for the first time in his career, and has increased his average score involvements per game from 4.3 to 6.5 this season.
Walter's development has continued at a rapid pace, averaging 1.8 goals per game after just 0.8 per game in 2024. As a key forward the 2023 Pick 3 was not expected to adapt to the top flight quickly, but his improvement has come around faster than the Suns could have imagined.
Andrew is perhaps the only youngster to take a step back in 2025, albeit minorly, while Ned Moyle averages close to 40 hitouts per game in the VFL. Jake Rogers has already doubled his goalkicking tally from last year, in three fewer games at that.
An important, albeit subjective, factor in a club's premiership chances is having players play above their pay-grade. These youngsters are yet to earn major money, with most only on their first or second contracts at AFL level, yet are performing at a consistently high level.
All Grown Up
There is an unrelenting edge about Gold Coast this year.
While that statement may come from a subjective point of view, the Suns do have a vibe about them this year that feels more mature than years gone by, but there's proof that this is not the Gold Coast pretenders we're used to.
As Hardwick put it, they needed to "grow up" as a club, and 2025's start to the season suggests as much. Yes, they've played all five bottom-five sides after Round 7, but the signs from those wins are ominous.
They didn't crawl over the line like they have done previously against poorer sides, and they didn't crumble in unfamiliar territory. Gold Coast defeated West Coast by 87 points at Optus Stadium and Melbourne by 58 points at the MCG to start their season. Two ruthless wins that suggest the immature away woes have ceased.
They were then tasked with the Adelaide Crows, who were in equally hot form, and battled out a one-point win, and then started 4-0 for the first time in their history against North Melbourne.
But perhaps the greatest sign of their growth was against the Swans in Round 7. Falling behind by nearly five goals, the old Suns would have rolled over and conceded a second-straight loss, but instead took the game up to Sydney with a staggering 12 unawnsered goals to rip the game from the Swans' grasp and book themselves a top four spot for another week.
Last year, the Suns went 5-3 against bottom-five sides, with a percentage of 118.1. In their five games this season against bottom-five sides, they've begun with a 4-1 record with a percentage of 162.4.
Now, the Suns have the chance to prove themselves against the reigning premiers in Round 8. The Crows clash was a genuine test that proved their finals legitimacy, but a win away from home against the Lions will only further their premiership credentials.
And by the way, they are executing in 2025, it's not a far stretch to suggest the 28th QClash will go in favour of the Gold Coast Suns and set the tone towards a deep September run in a maiden finals campaign.
