This Saturday marks a meaningful milestone for Jarrod Harbrow, who will become the first Gold Coast player to register 100 games in the red and gold.
As a young club, such milestones are significant in building the history of the SUNS and will be looked back on with fondness in years to come.
A renowned leader, it’s fitting Harbrow the will be the one to lead the way for a number of SUNS players to reach the 100-games mark throughout the season. goldcoastfc.com.au takes a look at all the players who will pass the 100 club games tally this season.
Trent McKenzie
Current Games Tally: 97
Milestone Expected: Around the Bye Round
Taken as a 17-year old access selection in 2010, Trent McKenzie is a GC SUNS Foundation player. The rebounding defender has battled injury in 2016, missing a game earlier in the year with a broken nose and is currently sidelined with an ankle injury that will see him miss the next 2-3 games. McKenzie should reach the 100-game milestone around the bye period, with Richmond or Hawthorn looming the most likely.
Gary Ablett
Current Games with the SUNS: 88
Total Games: 280
Milestone Expected: Second half of the season
Although his overall career-game tally is steamrolling towards 300, 2016 will mark a sentimental milestone as Gary Ablett registers 100 games as captain of the Gold Coast SUNS. The milestone will occur in the closing rounds of the season and will certainly be a time of celebration for the team and fans alike. Ablett has been captain since the club’s inception in 2010 and a vital component in developing the Queensland team on and off the field.
Matt Shaw
Current Games: 87
Milestone Expected: Second half of the season
Matt Shaw was another 2010 17-year-old access draft selection for Gold Coast. After playing 15 games in 2015, the wingman has started the year in the NEAFL and will need to force his way into the senior team if he is to reach the 100 game milestone.
Dion Prestia
Current Games 86
Milestone Expected: Second half of the season
Taken with selection No. 9 in the 2010 draft, Dion Prestia has pushed himself into elite midfielder status. After missing most of 2015 with a knee injury, the vice-captain has played five of the SUNS’ six games this season and looks set to crack the 100 game milestone later in the year.
Tom Lynch
Current Games: 86
Milestone Expected: Second half of the season
Tom Lynch has taken his game to another level so far in 2016, leading the Coleman Medal race with 24 goals after six rounds and sitting second in the AFLCA vote. The Sorrento product has elevated his status as a future leader of the club and it’s fitting he’ll reach the 100-game milestone towards the closing stages of the season.
Sam Day
Current Games: 84
Milestone Expected: Second half of the season
Sam Day has proven invaluable to the team in 2016. After starting the season at full forward alongside Tom Lynch, the versatile South Australian has made the shift down back to strengthen the team’s defense in lieu of injuries. If Day plays the remaining 16 games, the former No. 3 draft pick will see out his sixth year as a SUN reaching the 100 game milestone.
