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Suns co-captain Miller excited about what recruits Rioli and Noble can bring in 2025
Lachlan Geleit • January 31st, 2025 12:56 pm
Gold Coast co-captain Touk Miller expects off-season recruits Dan Rioli and John Noble to make a big impact in 2025.
The Suns gave up a pair of early picks to bring Rioli to the club after the former Tiger won the Jack Dyer Medal in 2024, while Noble got his wish to join the Suns in a bumper trade that saw Dan Houston join Collingwood and Jack Lukosius join Port Adelaide.
While Rioli suffered a medial ligament injury in November and is only just returning to training, Miller has seen enough from the duo to be seriously excited about what they’ll offer the side off half-back.
“Unfortunately, Rioli hasn't been out there too much with his knee, but he's definitely coming back into training now,” Miller told SEN Breakfast
“But between them both, you probably watch them enough, but their ability to be creative off half-back, make good decisions, and their ability just to create, I think you can't ask much more in a skilful half-back these days, especially when you're playing strong turnover footy.
“You need blokes who want the ball in their hands and can tear apart a game and put the opposition on the back foot pretty quick with their speed and their decision-making.
“They both bring that in spades which is really good for us, so I’m excited with what they’re going to deliver.”
2025 also marks the second season of Damien Hardwick’s tenure at Gold Coast and Miller says that the Suns will be implementing a similar system to what the game plan was in 2024.
While that style delivered them 11 wins and a 13th-place finish in 2024, Miller is certain that the system can deliver some improved results this time around as the group now has a full understanding of the way the triple-premiership coach wants his team to shape up.
“It’s definitely the same system,” Miller said.
“We obviously had that year where we were building, trying to learn and understand it.
“We had some games where our lack of knowledge in the system cost us with how to implement the process, especially in some of those tighter moments with what was required.
“You go into this pre-season, and we already have a full understanding of what it looks like and players have a better understanding of what their role is.
“That's not to say that just transfers into wins … but I think that our level of knowledge, how to run the system and then have the freedom to play footy inside the framework is a lot better.”
Gold Coast begin their season with an Opening Round clash against Essendon at Heritage Bank Stadium on Saturday, March 8.
