THE FUTURE is bright for the Gold Coast Suns, who demonstrated they were on the right track after finishing last in 2021.

New coach Cameron Joyce steadied the ship, while several key inclusions helped the Suns break their winless drought.

Over the next few weeks, womens.afl will look at each of the seasons of the 14 AFLW teams in reverse ladder order. 

Coach: Cameron Joyce

Leadership group: Hannah Dunn (captain), Bess Keaney (vice-captain), Jamie Stanton, Serene Watson 

2022 home and away finishing position: 10th, three wins, one draw and six losses, 68.2 per cent. 

Best team performance: Gold Coast 5.9 (39) defeated Richmond 5.4 (34). It was a seesawing affair at Metricon Stadium, with multiple lead changes throughout the game. The Tigers took an eight-point lead into the final break before the Suns stormed home, recording a second successive win for the first time in their history.

Best individual performance: Ali Drennan led from the front against Richmond, dominating the midfield battle to record 27 disposals, 343m gained, nine clearances and five tackles. Honourable mentions to Charlie Rowbottom and Tara Bohanna's match-winning turns against West Coast.

NAB AFLW Rising Star nominations: Charlie Rowbottom, Ellie Hampson 

Debutants: Alana Barba, Tara Bohanna, Ashanti Bush, Shannnon Danckert, Jacqui Dupuy, Charlie Rowbottom (AFLW debuts), Vivien Saad, Claudia Whitfort (club debuts)

Retirees: Yet to be announced.

Delistings: Yet to be announced.

Most improved: Daisy D'Arcy may have finished third in last year's club best and fairest, but took her game to a new level this season. A disciplined defender, she rarely allowed her opponent an easy run at the footy, and her dash off half-back was instrumental in the Suns' rebound.

Star recruit: Could it be anyone but Bohanna? The key forward was overlooked by all eight Victorian clubs in the 2021 NAB AFLW Draft, before earning her opportunity with the Suns as a replacement player. Her stunning rise to the top was capped with selection in the All-Australian squad.

Unsung hero: In the Suns' first season, you could be mistaken for thinking the midfield was Jamie Stanton or bust. But the emergence of Rowbottom and Hampson and the continued development of Drennan has allowed Stanton to play a different, negating midfield role to great effect.

What worked:

• Pre-season, it looked as though the loss of Maddy and Teagan Levi (rugby commitments) would be a death-knell to the Suns, but they managed to cover the pair admirably. It helps when you lure a top Victorian talent in Rowbottom north, but Bohanna and Sarah Perkins combined beautifully in attack, while recruits Saad and Whitfort provided some steel around the ground.
• Cameron Joyce's first season in charge was a success, despite there still being plenty of room for improvement. Joyce brought some self-belief and a strong structure to the Suns' line-up, and the players spoke glowingly of his clear communication and high standards.

 What needs improvement:

• Gold Coast still bled goals in 2022, and weren't helped by the ACL injury to defensive lynchpin Jade Pregelj. The Suns conceded an average of 43.1 points across their 10 matches, the second-worst in the competition.
• Winning the footy was also an issue for the Suns, who despite being a strong clearance team, struggled to retain the footy. Gold Coast averaged 196.1 disposals per game, the third-lowest in the AFLW.

Early call for next season: The Suns shouldn't be hit too hard by expansion, and there is a strong pipeline of talent in Queensland which was comparatively unaffected by lockdowns over the past two years. Gold Coast could be pushing for top eight next season.

Season rating: 5/10

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