In a nutshell

What started with such optimism finished little shy of a disaster. A sacked coach, football department under review, seven straight losses (and counting?) and a question mark over the future of Gary Ablett all means the Suns have a long few months ahead. There's a bad smell over Carrara at the moment.

Have your say: Give your season verdict on the Suns using the form at the bottom of this article.

What we said in the pre-season  

We predicted the Suns would make their first finals appearance if they remained healthy. Although the injury list stacked up in the back half of the season, the early stutterings happened with a relatively full roster of players to choose from. It wasn't a bold prediction to say Rodney Eade was in strife if they didn't push for finals, and that's just how things panned out.

What worked 

Last off-season's 'moneyball' trading now looks like a win. Jarrod Witts and Jarryd Lyons were terrific and Pearce Hanley played well once he overcame injury. Free agent recruit Michael Barlow was also having a fine season until he broke his leg.

What failed

Wow, where to start? The biggest problem for Gold Coast was its lack of resilience. Once the heat came on, too many players went scurrying for cover. The losses to GWS, Port Adelaide and Melbourne were particularly galling, such little fight was there. The defensive pressure wasn't up to scratch and they were too easy to score against.

Overall rating: E

The Suns were expected to be in the finals hunt and came nowhere near.

The coach

After three years in charge, Rodney Eade was shown the door three matches from season's end. 'Rocket' dealt with a long list of injuries during his tenure and helped change the club's off-field culture significantly, but all in all, failed to get the most out of the list. His successor has a big job to develop a list that is lighter for talent than many outsiders think.

The leaders 

It was a tough first season for co-captains Tom Lynch and Steven May, who dealt with their own form struggles as well as those of their teammates. Lynch got some poor service in the forward line but was well down on his 2016 All Australian form, while May was fantastic as the number one defender, but battled when the Suns tried to use him creatively as a second, third or spare defender. You can almost guarantee both will bounce back better next year.

MVP

Jarrod Witts: Came to the Suns and quickly passed Tom Nicholls and Dan Currie for the number one ruck role. Witts rarely had his colours lowered and was a primary reason why Gold Coast was one of the best centre-clearance teams in the league.

Surprise packet

Jack Leslie: Made big strides in his fourth season at the club. Replaced May and Rory Thompson in the key posts when either was injured and then kept the latter out even once he returned. Still lots of areas to improve, but Leslie is disciplined, has good hands and looks to have kick-started his career.

Get excited

Ben Ainsworth: While his fellow top-10 draft picks struggled, Ainsworth showed plenty. A horrible corked quad cost him eight matches on the sidelines, but the No.4 pick showed a hunger and competitive streak many of his teammates lacked. Ainsworth is tough, skilled and already looks a future leader.

Disappointment

Rory Thompson: At his best, Thompson is the perfect defensive foil for May, but he can't stay on the field. More soft tissue injuries meant the rangy 26-year-old played just seven games this season - the Suns need more. Nicholls was a close second in this category, finishing last season as the first choice ruckman and falling completely off the map this year.

Best win

Round seven: Gold Coast 18.16 (124) def Geelong 15.9 (99) @ Metricon Stadium 
This win moved the Suns to 3-4 and came after they showed some genuine fourth-quarter fight. Geelong drew within five points early in the last term, but on the back of Jarrod Harbrow, Ablett, Lynch and May, Gold Coast steadied to win.

Low point

It felt inevitable for a few weeks, but Eade's sacking put a full stop on another chapter in the Suns' bleak history. Jarrod Harbrow's drink-driving charge mid-season was also a black eye for the club.

The big questions

Who will be the new coach?
CEO Mark Evans has a huge decision coming up and needs to decide whether he wants to chase another experienced mentor or start afresh with a new face. 

What does Gary Ablett's future hold?
It's likely the dual Brownlow medalist will again ask to be traded to Geelong, but just how hard will the Suns play? And what are the Cats prepared to trade in return? 

How many changes will there be to the football department?
Eade is gone, but he might not be the last. Evans will complete his review shortly, which might result in even more new faces at the Suns in 2018.

Season in a song

Wasted Years - Iron Maiden

Premiership window

Just ajar: Some nice building blocks, but a long way off.

Who's done?

Retirements: TBC 
Delistings: TBC
Unsigned free agents: Nil

How should they approach trade and draft period?

The Suns have to go young again. They need talent, but even more so they need players with steel, players that can win a contested ball and hate to lose.

Early call for 2018

A new coach often brings a spike in performance, and with great bookends and a steady midfield already in place, they should win more games but likely still miss finals.

Suns fans: what's your season verdict?

Share your views via the form below and we'll publish the best responses on Sunday, September 3. 

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Read more

• The Wash-Up: more season reviews