It took 155 players, six coaches and 3576 goals in 327 games at 22 different grounds in every state and territory in Australia – plus China – but it was worth it.
Because after 5993 days, a journey that began when the AFL issued the Gold Coast Football Club a license on 31 March 2009 has reached its most significant destination. The Finals.
Amid scenes of raw and genuine emotion, the SUNS beat Essendon 23-15 (153) to 8-10 (58) at People First Stadium last Wednesday to ensure they will feature in the business end of the season for the first time.
It was the biggest win in club history, surpassing the 87-point obliteration of West Coast in Perth in Round 1 this year, and the second-highest score behind the 26-8 (164) posted against Geelong in Darwin last year.
Having finished 7th on the AFL ladder, ahead of Hawthorn on percentage and a game clear of ninth-placed Western Bulldogs, the SUNS posted four other club records:
- A 15-9 win/loss ratio that is four wins up on the club’s previous best last year
- A percentage of 124.9 that is 22.1% up on their previous best in 2022.
- An average score ‘for’ of 94.5 points – up on the best of 87.2 in 2013.
- An average score ‘against’ of 75.7 which on an adjusted basis is better than the 64.6 recorded in the short games of Covid 2020.
The 2025 SUNS ranked 4th in the League in points ‘for’, behind the Bulldogs, Geelong and Adelaide, and 5th for points ‘against’, behind Collingwood, Adelaide, Hawthorn and Geelong.
So, while the focus internally quickly shifted to the elimination final against Fremantle in Perth on Saturday 6 September (5.35pm AWST), for 24 hours, people outside the club basked in the joy and satisfaction.
None more so than the 16,768 who witnessed history at People First Stadium on a Wednesday night in the middle of the school term.
The crowd for the 141st SUNS game at People First Stadium was 27% up on the overall average, and was bigger than the best turnout in 2015-16-19-20-21. Only 25 home crowds have been bigger – one on a Friday, 21 on a Saturday and three on a Sunday.
Coach Damien Hardwick admitted post-match it had been “a tough few weeks” and said the mood in the SUNS rooms post-match was “quite emotional”.
Now 46 games and 26 wins into his SUNS tenure, Hardwick spoke of people who had paved the way for the club’s growth …. (current chairman) Bob East, (inaugural chairman) Tony Cochrane, (High Performance Manager) Alex Rigby, (club doctor) Barry Rigby, (physio) Lindsay Bull, (recruiting chief) Kall Burns … and property guys Barry (Lowe) and Phil (McGarry).
Labelling it “a very, very cool” moment, Hardwick saved a special tribute for David Swallow, who is the sole survivor from inaugural SUNS playing list in 2011 and the games record-holder at 247.
“I’ve only known him 18 months but I can promise you there will never be a word spoken that is any way detrimental to him. As Wayne (GM Football Wayne Campbell) always says, the first statue we build here will be of David Swallow.
“He could have gone for more money but he stayed for less. He gave money back so others could get paid more. He stayed to help make this side and this club successful, and moments like tonight are testament to him as a football person. He’s an incredible human.”
Hardwick confirmed that Swallow, who hasn’t played at AFL level since Round 19, was over “a bit of a PCL problem” and would train this week.
“He’ll give himself a chance. He’ll train well and he’ll put his hand up .. and then it becomes a head and heart decision. And if he doesn’t get in he’ll be fully supportive of everyone that is in the side.”
Swallow, only 16 when he won the Larke Medal as the best player at the 2010 Australian Under 18 championships, committed to the expansion club 12 months before he was eligible to be drafted. And, because the club had pick #1 in the 2010 National Draft and committed to take the highly-regarded West Australian, he played with the club in the VFL in 2010.
He saw the launch of the name and colours on 22 July 2010 after tags like Ironmen, Marlins and Stingrays had been popular in a public vote, and was a member of the SUNS very first side that played Carlton in the club’s first game at the Gabba on 2 April 2011.
Club Champion in 2014 and captain from 2019-21, Swallow will turn 33 in November having lived more than half his life at the club.
He has been the one football constant as the SUNS have completed the third-toughest pre-finals ‘apprenticeship’ in competition history.
Third-toughest? Yes. The SUNS’ 104-2-221 record over 15 years has been less torturous than that which greeted Hawthorn and North Melbourne when they joined the then VFL with the Western Bulldogs (then Footscray) in 1925.
Hawthorn waited 33 years and used 485 players in 599 games for 145 wins, collecting the wooden-spoon 10 times before their first finals appearance in 1957.
And North, who in 2006 played three ‘home’ games on the Gold Coast and in 2007 had considered a relocation to the tourist strip, used 352 players in 382 games over 21 years for just 92 wins before their first finals appearance in 1945. They’d picked up ‘the spoon’ eight times.
The Bulldogs waited 14 years to play finals, Richmond 12 years and St.Kilda 11 years in which they finished last seven times, had four winless campaigns and won only two of their first 96 games.
Brisbane, originally known as the Bears and based at what is now People First Stadium from 1987-92, were nine years, 196 games and 137 players for 55 wins before their first final in 1995.
Fremantle, the SUNS’ first finals opponent, were nine years, 198 games, 107 players and 70 wins after West Coast played finals in their second year in the national competition. Adelaide and Port Adelaide took three years and GWS five years.
