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Find your Sport Nation frequencyTwo in five years: Cornes' extreme expectations for the Gold Coast Suns
Jaiden Sciberras • July 14th, 2025 5:32 pm
In arguably the biggest game of their AFL existence, the Gold Coast Suns delivered.
Hosting a Collingwood side at the pinnacle of the AFL, having won eight straight and cruising towards a minor premiership, in the club’s first ever Friday night home game, and yet the moment didn’t phase them.
Holding the Pies goalless for over two and a half quarters, the Suns ran rampant early, controlling the contest and playing an electric brand of footy under Damien Hardwick.
In spite of their phenomenal start, the most impressive feature of their victory was the club’s ability to counteract the immense charge mounted by the Pies in the final term.
Booting five straight majors, the Magpies gained the lead in the most unlikely of circumstances.
The Suns, staring down the barrel of an almighty collapse, the young side fought back as well as ever, claiming back their lead and holding on against the AFL’s top dog led by their inspirational captain Noah Anderson.
And now, with their evident ability on show, matching up with the best of the best to the degree of a record-breaking start, SEN’s Kane Cornes has ramped up his lofty expectations of what’s to come for this Gold Coast side.
“I have been (positive on them) for a while,” Cornes told SEN Fireball.
“I think they win two out of the next five premierships, Gold Coast, with what they have. It’s going to be frightening for everyone, how good they’re going to be.
“I look at players like Wil Powell and (Sam) Clohesy… we never even talk about them. If they were in Essendon’s side, we’d be absolutely raving about them. If they played for Collingwood… and there’s heaps of them.
“They’ve got Leo Lombard who hasn’t really played yet - he’s going to be a star. Jake Rogers is a small forward who’s going to play. Players like Ben Ainsworth, we don’t speak about at all. They are absolutely stacked, and then there’s the top-end…
“I think they’re more resilient, and it was a really important night for the AFL and for that club to be able to deliver on that stage, albeit against a side that was inaccurate, who had left a few stars at home.
“If you play that game 10 times (Collingwood) probably win eight if they’re at full strength, but it was an important Friday night game.
“Huge ratings as well, one of the highest rating games of the year, which speaks a little bit about, let’s not be too afraid about putting teams that are somewhat off Broadway with smaller markets in the prime-time slots.”
Rising up to fifth place with a game in hand on the competition, the Suns are every chance of landing a top four spot, however the true test is yet to come, as the Crows and the Lions await in the coming weeks.
