From the Grassroots: How the Suns Made History
The moment
Last Wednesday night, fifteen years of frustration, ridicule, and resilience finally broke into celebration: the Gold Coast Suns are heading to finals for the first time. For a club so often dismissed as a plastic experiment or party-town novelty, this wasn’t just a football result—it was vindication.
The scenes after the final siren told the story better than any stat line. Captain Noah Anderson embraced not just teammates but every staff member. Coach Damien Hardwick and ex-skipper Touk Miller honoured the founding staff that stuck through the lean years and the few players who had ridden every wave since 2011. For so long, the Suns were a punchline. Now they are a club with a past worth honouring and a future worth believing in.
In the stands, fans wept. Online, fan groups lit up with joy. As someone in those communities, I was struck by how much positivity flowed across state and international borders. For a supporter base that has endured so much, it was catharsis. Special credit goes to people like Sharon Haze, who kept the diehards connected and hopeful through the hardest years.
The four walls
This breakthrough feels significant because it’s about more than one season—it’s a culture rebuilt. For years, the Suns’ story was heartbreak: players drafted, then lost back to Victoria, making it impossible to grow roots. Now, stars are signing long-term, and Gold Coast has become a destination club—not just for lifestyle, but for the environment. People inside the Suns say it consistently: supportive, close-knit, community-minded, and full of growth opportunities. You can feel that authenticity radiating through the playing group, with teammates who clearly love where they are and who they’re with.
Community connection
Externally, the connection to the community has finally clicked. The Suns have tried for years to win over the Gold Coast, and now the results are obvious: record memberships, sold-out games, junior participation soaring. The commercial and marketing teams have connected with brands and influencers while staying true to the city, and the club works tirelessly through its volunteering arm, maintaining a presence at local clubs, schools, and charities. Game days are also the best in the league: I recently met Americans in town for a sports conference who called the Suns experience the best they’d ever attended—engaging and family-friendly. The Suns have clearly embraced their role in Queensland footy, and Queensland has responded in kind.
The new sport on the block in Queensland
A huge part of the Suns’ rise is the Academy. Nearly a third of the current list are Queenslanders, many raised on the Gold Coast and now debuting in the senior side—a transformation from when making it to the AFL from Queensland felt almost impossible. Today, pathways are visible, tangible, and backed by genuine grassroots support. Investment in community programs, strong state competitions like the QAFL, and clubs such as the Southport Sharks have helped shape a football culture in Queensland that now feels permanent.
Equally important is the club’s connection with Indigenous communities across Queensland and Far North Queensland. Led by Jarrod Harbrow, the Suns run programs that go beyond talent pathways, using football to build confidence, pride, and opportunity while connecting young players to culture and aspiration. In a state long dominated by rugby, these programs give kids a reason to choose footy and a clear path to the AFL.
What this means and where the Suns can go
For years, comparisons with the GWS Giants have been unavoidable. The Giants soared early, polished and competitive from the start. The Suns stumbled, raw and messy. But perhaps that’s why this moment feels richer. Gold Coast’s arc has been slower, but ultimately more grounded—reflective of a real football journey rather than an artificial shortcut.
This finals berth doesn’t erase fifteen years of pain; it deepens its meaning. Every exit, headline, and barb about gimmicks has made this arrival sweeter. The Suns have earned everything the hard way, and authenticity is theirs in spades.
Visiting European clubs in similar situations has shown me just how much potential remains untapped. For the Suns, new partnerships, markets, and growth opportunities are all within reach, and there’s plenty of scope to build on the momentum they’ve created.
But for the first time, that trajectory doesn’t feel like wishful thinking—it feels real.
All gas, no brakes.
