Noah Anderson is potentially one game away from the best season ever by a Gold Coast SUNS player – at least according to the people who are supposed to know best.

Anderson’s 10 votes in the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player Award against Richmond last week has not only put him back on top of the 2025 leaderboard, but has him within striking distance of the club record for votes for this coveted award.

At Round 21 – with a game in hand – Anderson has 93 votes to head Collingwood’s Nick Daicos (87), SUNS teammate Matt Rowell, Adelaide’s Jordan Dawson Anderson and Geelong’s Bailey Smith (78), Sydney’s Brodie Grundy and Geelong’s Max Holmes (77), St Kilda’s Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (76), Melbourne’s Max Gawn and Fremantle’s Caleb Serong (73).

He’s chasing three 90-plus totals after his third 10-vote game of the year against the Tigers took him past the 92-vote total of Gary Ablett when he was equal 4^th in 2012.

Still ahead of him are Touk Miller, who polled 98 votes when he won the award in 2022 and 97 votes when 5^th in 2021, and Ablett, who polled 95 votes to finish 2^nd in 2013.

Ablett’s 80 votes for 5^th in 2011 and 72 votes for 5^th in 2014 completes the SUNS six top 10 finishes in the AFLCA award, while Anderson, 11^th with 76 votes in 2023, heads six other top 20 finishes.

Last year Rowell (70 votes) and Anderson (68) finished 13^th and 17^th, after Ablett (61) was equal 16^th in 2017, Tom Lynch (67) was equal 14^th in 2016, and Dion Prestia (56) was 13^th in 2014.

Statistical confirmation of Anderson’s lofty standing via yet another measurement comes after two significant club milestones last weekend, and a third of much lesser significance which might prompt some dressing room banter ahead of Saturday night’s Marvel Stadium clash with Carlton.

The win over Richmond was the SUNS’ 13^th of the season – a record for the club. While some will say it’s been a long wait, it’s nothing like the wait of some clubs in the shorter seasons of the distant past. St Kilda were 41 years before they had a 13-win season, Hawthorn 37 years, Melbourne 27 years and North Melbourne 21 years.

And Ben King’s third goal against Richmond late in the third quarter gave him the third goal-kicking half century in club history. His 2025 total of 51, equal 2^nd in the Coleman Medal, follows his 54 goals in 2024, and Tom Lynch’s club record 66 in 2016.

The win over the Tigers has also put mid-season signing Oscar Adams within reach of his own little slice of club history – the equal quickest journey to five wins.

Playing with Glenelg in the SANFL until he was picked up by the SUNS in the mid-season draft until 28 May, the now 22-year-old defender has four wins from five games.

A win over the Blues would see him match the feat of 2025 recruits John Noble and Daniel Rioli, who enjoyed their fifth SUNS win in their sixth game.

Noble and Rioli were one game quicker than the long-standing club record of seven games, set by Sean Lemmens in 2014 and matched the following week by Kade Kolodjashnij.

Only five other players have had five wins inside 10 games - Tom Berry (8), Ethan Read (8), Bailey Humphrey (9), Joel Jeffrey (9) and Sam Clohesy (9).

At the other end of the scale, in the club’s early days 17 players waited 30 or more games for their fifth win, headed by rugby league convert Karmichael Hunt (39).

Others 30-plus have been Jared Brennan (38), Gary Ablett (37), Trent McKenzie (37), Zac Smith (37), Dion Prestia (37), Luke Russell (37), Michael Rischitelli (36), Seb Tape (36), Campbell Brown (34), Matt Shaw (33), David Swallow (33), Charlie Ballard (33), Jarrod Harbrow (32), Danny Stanley (32), Tom Lynch (31) and Mav Weller (30).