Gold Coast’s style of play wasn’t the best for AFL Fantasy for most of last year, as they played more direct and possessed the ball less. However, we saw a shift back to a more possessive game later in the year which could see some improvement in their scoring.
Below are some players worth looking at this season.
Take a listen to our latest podcast: Pre-season 2023: Gold Coast Suns featuring Steve Fizz from The Draft Doctors
The Undervalued
Lachie Weller switched from playing on a wing and up forward in the past to play in defence last season. He was just starting to find his feet in this role before he suffered an ACL injury in round 12. He should return early in 2023 and will play the same role. In addition to his role, he also takes a large portion of Gold Coast’s kick-ins, which is a good avenue for scoring. He might take a while to get going but hopefully, he can return to form later in the year.
Ben Ainsworth isn’t the sexiest AFL Fantasy name but he’s a handy player to own. He averaged 76 last season, and manage to put up four scores of over 100 points last season. He doesn’t get the midfield time that he used but he does get on the end of a few goals, averaging over 1 per game in 2022. The issue is that he has a low floor, but if he can improve that he should average around the 80 mark which makes him a handy forward given the depth of this position.
Jeremy Sharp has the makings of a good fantasy player but he just can’t get a game. He started the year with so much promise and looks good when he has the football in hand, but he is let down by his disposal. Players like Elijah Hollands, Jack Lukosius, and Sam Flanders were all preferred options on the wings over Sharp. If you think he can improve his disposal then he might be a chance this season but I’m not sure he can. Regardless, pick him up late because if things go his way later on in the year with injuries or resting of players, he has the ability to put up some good scores.
The Breakout Contenders
Matt Rowell comes into his fourth season after missing the majority of his first three with injury. He managed to stay fit for the majority of 2023 but unfortunately hit the heights we expected in AFL Fantasy. The issue is he doesn’t have an outside game which hinders his scoring. Some of this is dependent on the way Gold Coast plays as they seem to play very direct and do not give their inside fielders many opportunities to get the footy in space. Regardless, I do think he can gather a few more possessions this season and boost his scoring to over 80 points per game. He’ll probably slide in drafts but could be a good player to round out your midfield with plenty of future potential.
We have Wil Powell on the breakout list every year but things never seem to go his way. As mentioned, Gold Coast changed their game style which wasn’t friendly for defenders under their system. Then, unfortunately, he broke his leg in round 14 when he’d scored 100 points the week prior and was on track for another big score. He will return early this season and hopefully, he picks up where he left off. If Gold Coast’s game plan is looking friendly for AFL Fantasy during the pre-season matches he’s definitely a player you should target to round out your defence.
Sam Flanders forced his way into the team in the second half of the year after some very strong performances in the VFL. He initially played forward in the senior team but was getting some time on the wing towards the end of the season. He returned to the VFL during finals and put up some huge numbers playing as an inside midfielder in the absence of Brayden Fiorini, which demonstrated that he potentially has added another string to his bow. Whilst I don’t think he finds a similar inside role next season, the potential is there for the future. However, I do think he can find a place on the wing this season and improve his scoring, making him a handy player to own given he has forward status.
The Stash Options
Elijah Hollands was finally given a game in the later stages of 2022. He was one of the most talked about players in the 2020 draft but missed his first season recovering from an ACL injury sustained in junior year. After playing a lot of VFL football, he broke into the side and played the last 5 games of the season which included one 100+ score. He was given quite a bit of time on the wing at AFL level, which resulted in him losing forward status in AFL Fantasy. However, Gold Coast have quite a few options on the outside so I wouldn’t be surprised if he spends some time up forward this season, which should see him regain forward status but could hamper his scoring. I think his breakout will come in 2024, so I suggest stashing him for then.
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