The Gold Coast SUNS will progress to the semi final next week after a nail biting one-point win over Fremantle last Saturday night.
In an interview with SEN Melbourne, All Australian midfielder Matt Rowell reflected on what last Saturday night’s win means to the club.
He says that the Gold Coast SUNS are a serious football team, and that their belief is growing. Coach Damian Hardwick even had a few tricks up his sleeve to give the SUNS added motivation, one of which was to show footage of the Vanderbilt Commadores, a college football team who once defeated a top seeded team, while branded as underdogs.
Rowell says Hardwick’s motivation tactics gave the team inner belief that they could win despite the underdog status, and it paid off, as Gold Coast emerged victorious by one point.
“Throughout the season, he’s put blocks of games together so you always know what you are working towards.” Rowell said.
Gold Coast’s win was full of emotion, and in Matt Rowell’s words was “a special night” for the club.
Gold Coast’s 15-year journey to its first finals campaign marks a new chapter in the club’s history, as they “push for respect in the competition” according to Rowell.
The journey from the Gold Coast to Perth is one of the longest in football, with the average flight taking in excess of five hours, but as the SUNS touched down in Coolangatta, they received a hero’s welcome from the fans. Rowell says the team could hardly sleep, as they were still buzzing from last Saturday’s result.
The inclusion of SUNS veteran David Swallow, who was called into action in the final term, set the stage for a fairytale ending, which saw him seal Fremantle’s fate in the dying stages, ultimately ending their season.
Rowell says Swallow has been there through the highs and lows of the SUNS journey, and it was fitting for him to have the final say.
“Whenever someone asked me about Dave, it hard to explain how much he means to us, he’s been through it all. Every part of the SUNS journey, he’s been there for it It was fitting for him to kick the last point at the end there. No one deserves it more than him” Rowell said.
The win sets up a date in the semi final with Brisbane this Saturday night.
The winner will face Collingwood for a spot in the grand final.
