Welcome to our column, The Debate, where the Mercury sport team discuss the big issues in Illawarra, national and international sport. This week, sports editor TIM BARROW and sports writer JOSH BARTLETT discuss whether the Gold Coast Suns can create club history by reaching the AFL finals.
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Bartlett: Well, Baz, the newly dubbed "South" Coast Suns have arrived in Wollongong where they will be based for the next fortnight due to Melbourne's COVID-19 crisis. It is set to be a crucial two-week block for the Suns. It's fair to say Gold Coast have been the AFL's surprise packets so far, with their season record standing at 3-2. Their next two games are definitely winnable games - up against the Demons and Swans, both who have proven inconsistent in 2020. It may have seemed inconceivable in March... but two victories could put the Suns on track for the "F" word - finals. Do you reckon this is the case?
Barrow: After watching them take down the mighty West Coast Eagles in empathic style back in round two, I'm convinced they can make the eight.
They'll be disappointed with the Geelong loss before arriving here in Wollongong, but there's a lot of upside in this developing group.
And they're far from the complete package, so it will be a bit of a rollercoaster no doubt, but the next step is winning away from their headquarters at Metricon Stadium, so they can go a long way to proving they're contenders against the Demons and Swans in Sydney while they're based down here. How big a blow is the Matt Rowell injury for them?
Bartlett: Unfortunately, it's a huge setback. It's hard to remember an early draft pick who has made such an immediate impact - maybe Chris Judd at West Coast way back in 2002?
Rowell averaged more than 20 disposals per game in the first four rounds and was among Gold Coast's frontrunners for clearances.
The Suns' grunt work in the middle has complemented the fast ball movement and caught any teams off guard, including the Eagles. It's yet to be seen if the rest of Gold Coast's midfield can stand up to fill the No.1 draft pick's void.
But I've been impressed with Hugh Greenwood - god knows why the Crows let him walk for virtually free - while Touk Miller and David Swallow have continued their development, No.2 pick Noah Anderson has started well and ruckman Jarrod Witts has been outstanding.
What do you think is the key to them beating Melbourne and Sydney?
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Barrow: The Demons are vulnerable. Swans clearly lack size.
It took until the second half, but the Eagles used the ball well against them on Saturday and their key targets like Josh Kennedy, Jake Waterman and Oscar Allen were getting good supply, but also were just too big for them to stop.
That all starts with the pressure applied at the contest, which will be the key for the Suns, but there's every reason Ben King and Sam Day can exploit that too.
And even without Rowell they still have enough young talent to beat the Demons and Swans and leave Wollongong well inside the eight. How much has the shorter quarters changed game style and made the season more unpredictable?
Bartlett: The AFL's changes have definitely thrown a spanner in the works for many teams this year. In some ways, the unpredictability has been good. Teams who like to play a quick brand of footy - like the Suns, St Kilda and Bulldogs - have risen up the ladder.
The new rules mean that teams can go harder, especially with their physicality, from the start and there's less chance of a burn out late in the game. North Melbourne did it a couple of weeks ago to surprise the Giants, while the Bulldogs turned the tide on the Kangaroos last Saturday night.
Thrown in all the uncertainty around the impact of COVID-19, who knows what's to come in 2020. But I'm still sceptical about whether the rule changes have actually improved the game as a spectacle for fans - there's still a lot of ugly, congested footy. What's your take?
Barrow: Absolutely agree, it's frustrating. It's led to a lot less structure and use of the ball and it's also led to umpires finding free kicks in a contest so the game can open up. Interesting, captivating footy comes from winning a contest and using the ball well.
I realise there is a health and safety issue around squads have less time to train during the Covid-19 shutdown, but before it hit there was already an argument about whether the AFL should shorten the quarters.
And we now have our answer, the short quarters experiment is an absolute failure and should be abandoned after this season. Even with the quarantine restrictions, how much of an impact can the Suns have on Australian football in a league and soccer stronghold in the Illawarra?
Bartlett: The Suns have been up front in saying they chose Wollongong as their preferred location for the Sydney hub, citing the Illawarra being similar to the Gold Coast and for boasting great facilities. But, whether it was deliberate or not, the Gong is a great choice because it's kind of a no man's land for AFL supporters.
There are Swans and Giants supporters in the Illawarra, of course, but neither club has a stronghold over the region. And with the Suns flying in 2020, it's the perfect time to arrive and maybe win over some supporters - particularly kids - in the process.
The COVID-19 restrictions make it difficult, but it would be great to see the Suns hold an open session in the coming week at North Dalton Park. The chance for kids to have an up close look at some AFL stars has got to be a step in the right direction.
Barrow: The Suns choosing to come to Wollongong has shown the relevance and importance of the Illawarra in the national sporting landscape.
These are extraordinary times, when you consider the buzz around having an AFL team in the Illawarra, while the Dragons are struggling to keep their finals hopes alive and the NBL have dumped the Illawarra name completely.
It's a huge win for AFL South Coast, a league with just seven first grade teams, and the Suns have made a fantastic effort to engage with the community since arriving in the early hours of Sunday.