Following the Gold Coast SUNS’ final match of 2013, coach Guy McKenna forecast the team’s desire to recruit an established half-back.
“I would think a solid, mature, middle-aged running, rebounding defender would be the area I'd be looking at,” McKenna told the media.
"We've been hurt by sides that counter attack really well," he said.
"If you looked at our squad right now and said 'What's Gold Coast deficient in?' I'd say a solid rebounding half-back.
"We've seen David Swallow for half-a-year doing that managing his (knee) injury. But do you want him off half-back or in the midfield?” McKenna pondered.
Enter Kade Kolodjashnij. Scott Clayton’s first selection in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft. He may not have been, solid, mature or middle-aged, but the 18-year-old Tasmanian has made the position the SUNS were deficient in his own.
And last year’s NAB AFL Rising Star, Jaeger O’Meara believes Kolodjashnij’s season has been influential.
“Kade has had an outstanding season and has become a really important and influential player for us,’’ O’Meara told The Courier Mail.
“Last year we were screaming out for a running half-back who used the ball well and Kade has come in and played that role like an experienced player.
“It is difficult to compare his first season to mine because we play different roles, I was lucky to come in and join a pretty talented and hardworking midfield while Kade has made a position we lacked his own.’’
Kolodjashnij is expected to fight out this year’s NAB AFL Rising Star award with Marcus Bontempelli (Bulldogs), Luke Dunstan(Saints), and Tom Langdon (Collingwood) in what is expected to be one of the tightest vote counts in the awards history.
Kolodjashnij who boasts a 76.7% disposal efficiency, is currently ranked 3rd in total number of rebound 50s at the SUNS behind Steven May and Trent McKenzie and 4th behind the same pair and Rory Thompson, in ‘one percenters’.
The GC SUNS remain hopeful that Kolodjashnij will recovery from a hamstring strain to play the Lions at the Gabba on Saturday.
