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Sport Nation
Top five: Buckley's major praise for rising Gold Coast captain
Louis Van Dam • June 4th, 2025 11:24 am
Nathan Buckley has declared Gold Coast Suns captain and star midfielder Noah Anderson a top five player in the competition after a phenomenal Round 12 performance.
The no.2 pick from the 2019 draft has rapidly grown into an elite player across his six-year career thus far, claiming the Suns Club Champion (Best & Fairest) in 2023, recognition in the AFLPA 22under22 team in consecutive years, and polling 44 double-figure Brownlow votes in his past three seasons.
The 24-year-old was immense in the Suns' clash with Fremantle, collecting 39 disposals, while eclipsing career-highs with 22 contested possessions and 12 clearances despite the 11-point loss.
“I cannot help but get taken by Noah Anderson and his seamless, smooth and consistent elite performance,” Buckley told SEN’s Whateley.
"They lost the game on the weekend, he had a lot of the ball, but it's not just getting a lot of the ball for me.
“I was talking with Jonathan Brown last week about the type of player he is.
“In Brisbane’s era with their four big midfielders, Nigel Lappin is the one that he reminds me of.
“He’s got the courage to run, he always turns up, he’s a smart player, he’s obviously really fit, he’s clean, he’s skilful.
“I think that there’s something special happening with the way he goes about it, he’s been the top-rated player on the ground for the last three weeks in a row.
“Win or lose, he turns up. He just moves so consistently and intelligently around the field, and he has pretty high hurt factor."
Through 11 games in 2025, Anderson ranks fourth in the AFL for average disposals at 30.9 per game, with his 21.4 effective disposals ranking sixth.
The star midfielder is also playing out career-highs with 13.4 contested possessions, 7.4 clearances, 7.1 score involvements, 6.1 inside 50s and a 585.8 metres gained per game.
“He’s been around for quite a while, but I just feel like this is a guy that’s just going to kill with a thousand cuts for the next 10 years,” Buckley added.
“He’s going to be in the upper echelon of the AFL for that time, and I think that what he’s doing is amazing so all credit to him.”
After signing until the end of 2027, Anderson was handed the standalone captaincy at just the age of 24, clearly having few issues in dealing with the added responsibility.
“I just get the sense that this is a guy that will elevate to another level (in the finals)," Buckley continued.
“He’s unfazed, he’s unfussed, when the stakes go up the basis of his game will get even more important.
“I'd say he's a top five player in the comp. Anderson could put himself in any structure in any place and he’s a type of player that would make the most of it.
“His exceptionality is capped a little bit by the fact that we see it all the time, we can get really numbed to greatness sometimes.
“I think he’s going to be great."
Despite Round 12's loss, the Suns are enjoying a club-best season at the halfway mark, residing in the top four as they charge towards a September debut.
