Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick says the Suns aren\u2019t yet entitled to regard themselves among the \u201cvery best sides\u201d in the AFL due to their lack of consistency.<\/p>\n
The Suns, who played finals football for the first time last season, were touted as genuine contenders for the 2026 premiership after adding former Melbourne star Christian Petracca to their squad.<\/p>\n
And three successive wins to start the new season heightened expectations that the Suns were indeed the real deal.<\/p>\n
However, consecutive away losses to Sydney and Melbourne has Hardwick demanding \u201credemption\u201d when the Suns host Essendon at People First Stadium on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe very best sides play a consistent brand of football and we\u2019re not there yet,\u201d the Suns mentor said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMelbourne were terrific, and Sydney were as good as I\u2019ve seen this year, so we\u2019ve certainly learnt some lessons from that and looking forward to a bit of redemption this week, and playing our best football.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look at our contested ball numbers the last couple of weeks, (and) granted, those two sides in Melbourne and Sydney played an outstanding contest-pressured game, but we\u2019re more than capable of playing that way as well, and doing it hopefully at a more consistent basis moving forward because it\u2019s probably a little bit below our standards as compared to what we\u2019re used to.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe game has been built on the back of contests and fundamentals for 150-odd years, and we\u2019re just not executing to the level.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Suns will have to win without skipper Noah Anderson, who is sidelined after having surgery on Monday to remove his appendix.<\/p>\n
However, they will be boosted by the return of Petracca from a hamstring injury and Bailey Humphrey from suspension.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the captain goes out, he\u2019s obviously very hard to replace, but bringing in two magnets like Petracca and Humphrey … (it) allows you to change the magnets a bit more,\u201d Hardwick said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know when those two play, they\u2019re dynamic and they feed off each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ll go more through the midfield as well, which is exciting for us and our fans. and we know they\u2019re high-contest, high-pressure players, so it\u2019s going to make our midfield stronger.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have got some magnets now in place that allow us to play a more sustainable brand of football through that middle part of the ground.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last couple of weeks haven\u2019t been to the level that we normally expect from this side. I\u2019ve got no doubt (the players) will respond.\u201d<\/p>\n