Gold Coast Suns

Rugby league convert Karmichael Hunt kicked this absolutely beauty from outside 50 last night, his first goal in AFL footy. The Twittersphere went into meltdown as the Suns led the unbeaten Cats 62-51 at halftime, before sanity, and the Cats, prevailed.

There’s a good argument that Adam Goodes’ close range goal in the fourth term of the Swans/Kangas match, after Lewis Jetta’s brilliant sideline dash, was a far worthier contender for Goal of the Day. The Swans wouldn’t have snuck a one point win without it either.

There’s an equally good argument that the author of this brief report is a tosser, for having mercilessly bagged both the Suns and their creator-on-high, Lord Demetriou, a few weeks back.

For now, let’s celebrate a good night’s entertainment from Karm and the Suns in their home venue of Emoticon Stadium, or whatever it’s called. By the way, did anyone else think the Cats players were less than warm in their embrace of Gary Ablett after the game?

Continue reading "Goal of the season!" »

Three weeks ago, in a bitter and premature rant, The Punch ran a story entitled The Suns’ Humiliation is Demetriou’s Humiliation.

The basic premise of the piece was that this hapless bunch of newbies, whose jumpers look like hot dog franks dipped in mustard, would not win a game until Christmas. As in, Christmas 2017. Not only were they an embarrassment to themselves, we argued, but a dagger in the heart of AFL supremo Andrew Demetriou’s expansionist dreams.

How very short-sighted of us. In light of the Suns’ remarkable win over Port Adelaide on the weekend, it is time to man up and admit we were wrong. To be even more accurate, I was wrong. About the Gold Coast. But not about expansion

Continue reading "Expansionist dream in tatters, despite Suns’ heroics" »

Karmichael Hunt was in good form on Twitter in the leadup to his AFL debut on Saturday night. On Tuesday, after a Punch team member tweeted how sick they were of the “ringing endorsements” for a bloke who hadn’t yet played an actual game, the former rugby league star tweeted back “LOL”.

Yes, even Hunt himself was sick of the hype around him. But nowhere near as sick as he must have felt on Sunday morning, after his AFL new boys the Gold Coast Suns were spanked by 119 points by mid-range premiership contender Carlton.

Usually, it’s foolish to write off any team after a first round shellacking. Not this rabble. Perhaps they should recruit a meter maid or two. Maybe someone should call Scott Muller, he of cricket’s “can’t bowl, can’t throw” scandal. At least his skill set would be on a par with his team-mates, most of whom can’t kick, can’t mark and pretty much can’t do anything.

Continue reading "The Suns’ humiliation is Demetriou’s humiliation" »

He’s gone. Over the course of the season the inevitability of it has been crushing. Now it has happened.

In recent times, each day as I have held my two poodles “Gary” and “Ablett” I have wondered what I will do if and when the day comes. If you can’t teach an old dog new tricks then how on earth can you change his name?

Gary, the older of the pair, has maintained a calm demeanour born of the knowledge that he is named after Gary Snr: an Ablett who will be always only associated with one club.

Continue reading "Gary is just fine but Ablett is chasing his tail" »

It’s the day Cats fans have been dreading all year: their favorite son, Gary Ablett, will sign a deal to become a Sun. A Gold Goast Sun.

If you were offered $9.5 million over five years, would you take it? Would you leave the club that has made you what you are today?

If you were offered a once-in-a-lifetime deal that would shape a life of luxury, security and comfort for your family, would you take it?

Continue reading "Gary Ablett and the end of club loyalty" »