Top 5 greatest players in Gold Coast Suns history

Modified Jun 13, 2024 16:14 IST

The Gold Coast Suns are one of the league’s youngest clubs, founded in 2009. Between then and now, the Queensland club has made quite the impact.

In the Suns’ 15 years, they have had some incredible talents contribute to their growth. Here, we highlight and explore the careers of five of the club’s best ever, judging by statistics and honors allocated.

Top 5 greatest players in Gold Coast Suns history

#5 Kade Kolodjashnij (2014- 2018)

Kade Kolodjashnij was drafted as Pick No. 10 by Gold Coast in the 2013 National Draft and debuted in Round 2 of the 2014 season. By the end of his debut season, he was nominated for the Rising Star Award.

In his standout year of 2015, the Tasmanian was one of the Suns’ most consistent players across the season. He averaged 22.3 disposals per game at an efficiency rate of 75.1 percent and had the most accumulated territory at the club with 7914 metres.

He finished the year as a Tom Lynch (Club Best and Fairest) runner-up, despite having played only 40 AFL games at the time.

#4 Jarrod Witts (2017-Present)

The Suns' co-captain, Jarrod Witts, has been a consistent midfield power. He is one of the game’s best ruckmen in the prime of his career. The 31-year-old debuted for Gold Coast in 2013, in a trade from Collingwood at the end of the 2016 season.

Witts was named co-captain of the Suns in 2019, became a Gold Coast Suns Club champion, and won the club’s Best and Fairest Award in the same. He has played 125 games for the Suns so far.

#3 Adam Saad (2015-2017)

Adam Saad was part of the West Coburg under-18s premiership in 2010, where he established himself as one of the VFL's top small defenders. He won the 2014 Coburg Best and Fairest Award and was named in the VFL Team of the Year.

Saad's strong form and speed earned him a draft to the Gold Coast Suns with Pick 25 in 2015. He made his debut for the Suns in the opening round of the 2015 season, in which he kicked one goal. By Round 5, he was nominated for the Rising Star Award.

#2 Jarrod Harbrow (2011-2021)

Gold Coast Suns 2021 Indigenous Guernsey Unveiled

Jarrod Harbrow was drafted into the AFL by the Western Bulldogs in 2007, and moved home to Queensland to join the Gold Coast Suns in 2010.

He was the fifth uncontracted player from a seniors club to join the Suns. In Round 7 of the 2016 season, Harbrow played his 100th game against St Kilda and became the very first Gold Coast player to play 100 games. By Round 19 of 2018, he set a new record at 150 games.

The defender was awarded the Gold Coast Suns Life Membership. He also won the Gold Coast Club Champion Award (2018), Gold Coast's Best & Fairest award (2018), and was a member of the inaugural Gold Coast team.

#1 Gary Ablett Jr. (2011-2017)

Brownlow Medal (2013)

Two Leigh Matthews Trophies (2012, 2013)

Four Club’s Best and Fairest Awards (2011, 2012, 2013, 2017)

Two Leading Goalkicker Awards (2012, 2013)

Four-time All-Australian (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)

We thought about letting his illustrious resume precede him.

Ablett spent seven seasons with the Gold Coast Suns, after signing a five-year contract with the Suns in 2010. He was named the inaugural captain of the Suns in 2011, unfortunately, the club finished last on the ladder that year, causing him to miss out on a premiership for the first time in five years.

Ablett continued to excel despite injuries and became the first member of the Gold Coast Suns to win a Brownlow Medal (his second) in 2013. 2014 was his career-best season at the club, in which he averaged 32 possessions and kicked 24 goals.

Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee