Latest news with #finalsfootball
The Australian
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
AFL: Suns seeking QClash redemption after heavy loss to Crows
Sick of hearing 'how crap' they are, the Gold Coast Suns have the perfect chance to 'change the narrative' by beating premiers Brisbane in Saturday's QClash. While the Suns have won 11 of their 17 matches to remain on track to play finals football for the first time in the club's history, an embarrassing 61-point loss to Adelaide last Sunday has raised doubts about their ability to finish the season in the top eight. Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick believes the ideal way to respond is with a win over the second-placed Lions this weekend at People First Stadium. Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick wants the Suns to lift against Brisbane. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images 'We're still in the race for something that we have never achieved, so we're really looking forward to that challenge,' Hardwick said on Thursday. 'As a coaching group and as a playing group, we've got a big step this week. We've got to take care of this step, then we'll sit there and take the next one this week. 'There's no greater test than the mob we're playing this week. The way they play the game is a great style of footy – combative, high pressure, high contest. 'What's really improved over the last six weeks is their handball game. Those Ashcroft boys (Will and Levi), (Jaspa) Fletcher and all those sorts of players have certainly helped with that, Lachie Neale's always been a star at it. The challenge is firmly set for our midfielders to respond. 'We get to test how far we've come in six days. The great thing about the very best sides is you know exactly how they play. 'Stopping them is the next part of the equation and we're looking forward to that challenge.' Despite having only taken charge of the Suns last year, Hardwick is well aware of how the Gold Coast has been portrayed since joining the AFL competition in 2011. Suns star Matt Rowell (front) is tackled by Brisbane co-captain Lachie Neale during the Lions' QClash win in May. Picture:'Everyone, for a long period of time, has told us how crap we are, (that) we're no good, (that we) don't deserve to be here,' the former Richmond three-time premiership-winning coach said. 'You know what? We're about changing that narrative. It's not the same old Suns, it's the brand new Suns.' Hardwick said the top-eight was now 'probably 90 per cent a race in nine', with the ninth-placed Western Bulldogs trailing the Suns – who have played one game less – by four points. 'We've got a game in hand which is the challenging thing with the ladder and the swings and roundabouts that we have … (but) we've just got to keep ticking off as many wins as we can to make sure that we aim for that first finals campaign,' he said. Hardwick also addressed speculation that Carlton forward Charlie Curnow wanted to join the Suns next season, 'We can understand that people hopefully want to come here and want to join in on this journey. We're looking to bring the very best players to our footy club,' he said. Marco Monteverde Sports reporter Marco Monteverde is a Brisbane-based sports reporter for NCA Newswire. He worked in a similar role for The Courier-Mail from 2007 to 2020. During a journalism career of more than 25 years, he has also worked for The Queensland Times, The Sunshine Coast Daily, The Fraser Coast Chronicle and The North West Star. He has covered three FIFA World Cups and the 2000 Sydney Olympics, as well as a host of other major sporting events in Australia and around the world. @marcothejourno Marco Monteverde
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Gold Coast Suns intent on showing they are no longer ‘crap' in Saturday's battle with Brisbane
Sick of hearing 'how crap' they are, the Gold Coast Suns have the perfect chance to 'change the narrative' by beating premiers Brisbane in Saturday's QClash. While the Suns have won 11 of their 17 matches to remain on track to play finals football for the first time in the club's history, an embarrassing 61-point loss to Adelaide last Sunday has raised doubts about their ability to finish the season in the top eight. Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick believes the ideal way to respond is with a win over the second-placed Lions this weekend at People First Stadium. 'We're still in the race for something that we have never achieved, so we're really looking forward to that challenge,' Hardwick said on Thursday. 'As a coaching group and as a playing group, we've got a big step this week. We've got to take care of this step, then we'll sit there and take the next one this week. 'There's no greater test than the mob we're playing this week. The way they play the game is a great style of footy – combative, high pressure, high contest. 'What's really improved over the last six weeks is their handball game. Those Ashcroft boys (Will and Levi), (Jaspa) Fletcher and all those sorts of players have certainly helped with that, Lachie Neale's always been a star at it. The challenge is firmly set for our midfielders to respond. 'We get to test how far we've come in six days. The great thing about the very best sides is you know exactly how they play. 'Stopping them is the next part of the equation and we're looking forward to that challenge.' Despite having only taken charge of the Suns last year, Hardwick is well aware of how the Gold Coast has been portrayed since joining the AFL competition in 2011. 'Everyone, for a long period of time, has told us how crap we are, (that) we're no good, (that we) don't deserve to be here,' the former Richmond three-time premiership-winning coach said. 'You know what? We're about changing that narrative. It's not the same old Suns, it's the brand new Suns.' Hardwick said the top-eight was now 'probably 90 per cent a race in nine', with the ninth-placed Western Bulldogs trailing the Suns – who have played one game less – by four points. 'We've got a game in hand which is the challenging thing with the ladder and the swings and roundabouts that we have … (but) we've just got to keep ticking off as many wins as we can to make sure that we aim for that first finals campaign,' he said. Hardwick also addressed speculation that Carlton forward Charlie Curnow wanted to join the Suns next season, 'We can understand that people hopefully want to come here and want to join in on this journey. We're looking to bring the very best players to our footy club,' he said.
Daily Telegraph
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
AFL: Lions can dent Suns' finals aspirations with QClash win
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Once a Suns supporter, Brisbane Lions star Will Ashcroft will relish the chance to take on the Gold Coast in a 'really big game' on Saturday. The second-placed Lions can put a dent in the Suns' chances of playing finals football for the first time in the club's history with a win at People First Stadium this weekend. The match holds extra significance for 21-year-old Ashcroft, whose father Marcus was a three-time premiership player with Brisbane before later becoming the Suns football manager. As a result, the player of the match in a QClash is awarded the Marcus Ashcroft Medal, an honour Will achieved when the teams met at the Gabba earlier this season. While partly downplaying Saturday's match as just 'another game', Will admitted there was a 'lot riding' on the latest QClash. Will Ashcroft shows off the Marcus Ashcroft Medal after his best-on-ground performance in May's QClash. Picture:'It's an exciting proposition to go down there and play against a really good team.,' he said. 'I have a lot of memories. With Dad being at the Suns for a long time, me growing up in my early years there (on the Gold Coast) – I was always probably going for the Suns. 'To be able to go back to play at the ground again is always exciting for me and (brother and teammate) Levi personally. 'It's another game, but that's an exciting part … to have the opportunity to play at that ground in a really big game.' Adding to the occasion for Will is that it will be his 50th AFL appearance after debuting in Brisbane's round 1 clash against Port Adelaide in 2023. That year also included the setback of a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, an injury that sidelined him for almost 12 months and delayed the arrival of his 50-game milestone. 'Learning so much off the back of the knee injury, it's given me great perspective going forward,' Ashcroft said. 'If I achieved 50 games a lot earlier and didn't have that knee setback, I would probably feel a lot differently.' Ashcroft returned from the injury in style, finishing the year with a premiership and the Norm Smith Medal for his best-on-ground performance in Brisbane's 60-point grand-final win over Sydney. And the versatile midfielder is only improving and adding layers to his game, as evidenced by kicking three goals in a game for the first time in his AFL career in Brisbane's 10-point victory over the Western Bulldogs at the Gabba last Friday night. Ashcroft brothers Will (left and Levi (right) celebrate Brisbane's QClash win in May with their father Marcus. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images 'It's nice to keep adding different strings to my bow and hopefully keep building on that,' he said. 'Kicking goals here and there is definitely a part of it, but trying to get up high as a forward and have an impact from a pressure standpoint as well is important when I'm playing forward.' Ashcroft was also proud of his teenage brother Levi for the adaptability he had shown in his first season of AFL football. 'Coming into a premiership side, it's harder to establish yourself, but what he's doing out on the wing … he's learning on the go, he's learning so much, he's grown as a player, he's added so many attributes to his repertoire this year,' Will said. 'Good players find a way to do that no matter what position they're playing or what circumstances present, so he's having a great year and has still got a lot of levels to get to.' Originally published as Brisbane star Will Ashcroft hopes to celebrate milestone AFL appearance with QClash win
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Brisbane star Will Ashcroft hopes to celebrate milestone AFL appearance with QClash win
Once a Suns supporter, Brisbane Lions star Will Ashcroft will relish the chance to take on the Gold Coast in a 'really big game' on Saturday. The second-placed Lions can put a dent in the Suns' chances of playing finals football for the first time in the club's history with a win at People First Stadium this weekend. The match holds extra significance for 21-year-old Ashcroft, whose father Marcus was a three-time premiership player with Brisbane before later becoming the Suns football manager. As a result, the player of the match in a QClash is awarded the Marcus Ashcroft Medal, an honour Will achieved when the teams met at the Gabba earlier this season. While partly downplaying Saturday's match as just 'another game', Will admitted there was a 'lot riding' on the latest QClash. 'It's an exciting proposition to go down there and play against a really good team.,' he said. 'I have a lot of memories. With Dad being at the Suns for a long time, me growing up in my early years there (on the Gold Coast) – I was always probably going for the Suns. 'To be able to go back to play at the ground again is always exciting for me and (brother and teammate) Levi personally. 'It's another game, but that's an exciting part … to have the opportunity to play at that ground in a really big game.' Adding to the occasion for Will is that it will be his 50th AFL appearance after debuting in Brisbane's round 1 clash against Port Adelaide in 2023. That year also included the setback of a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, an injury that sidelined him for almost 12 months and delayed the arrival of his 50-game milestone. 'Learning so much off the back of the knee injury, it's given me great perspective going forward,' Ashcroft said. 'If I achieved 50 games a lot earlier and didn't have that knee setback, I would probably feel a lot differently.' Ashcroft returned from the injury in style, finishing the year with a premiership and the Norm Smith Medal for his best-on-ground performance in Brisbane's 60-point grand-final win over Sydney. And the versatile midfielder is only improving and adding layers to his game, as evidenced by kicking three goals in a game for the first time in his AFL career in Brisbane's 10-point victory over the Western Bulldogs at the Gabba last Friday night. 'It's nice to keep adding different strings to my bow and hopefully keep building on that,' he said. 'Kicking goals here and there is definitely a part of it, but trying to get up high as a forward and have an impact from a pressure standpoint as well is important when I'm playing forward.' Ashcroft was also proud of his teenage brother Levi for the adaptability he had shown in his first season of AFL football. 'Coming into a premiership side, it's harder to establish yourself, but what he's doing out on the wing … he's learning on the go, he's learning so much, he's grown as a player, he's added so many attributes to his repertoire this year,' Will said. 'Good players find a way to do that no matter what position they're playing or what circumstances present, so he's having a great year and has still got a lot of levels to get to.'
Reuters
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Coach Diles confident Victory still growing ahead of Auckland clash
May 11 (Reuters) - Melbourne Victory coach Arthur Diles is confident his improving team can continue to build momentum on their way to the A-League Grand Final after seeing off Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday to set up a semi-final meeting with Auckland FC. Victory secured a 2-1 win over the Alen Stajcic-coached Wanderers in Parramatta to book a two-legged, last four meeting with the A-League Premiers, and Diles backed his squad to continue to progress ahead of the clash with the New Zealanders. "We've got belief in the players," said Diles, who took over at the helm seven games into the season after Patrick Kisnorbo quit the post to move to Japan. "They just keep getting better and better. "We're not where we need to be yet, there's still growth in us. But now it's about getting ready for game-by-game. "The (regular) season's done, and we've got to be in that mentality of kill or be killed. That's what it is now. "There's no second chance. That's the mindset we need and that's what we've got to be up for next week and the week after." Victory will host the first leg in Melbourne before travelling to Auckland for the return clash on May 24 and Diles paid tribute to the quality of the A-League newcomers, who won the Premiership in their first season in the competition. "They won the league, deservedly because they've done a fantastic job," he said. "But the league is the league and now it's finals football. It's a different competition and we'll make sure that we're ready for that. "There's no one we fear in this competition. We know we're a very good team with great players. "So are Auckland, and so are the Wanderers, they're a fantastic team. You just look at their bench and players that weren't even in the squad. Fantastic team. To beat them here is a huge achievement."
