Following a disappointing three years which included a wooden spoon (2019), there was an aura about Gold Coast in 2022, with the hope that the expansion club would make its first ever finals series.
Ben King had kicked 47 goals in 2021, Matt Rowell would return from a long-term injury and the Suns would have another pre-season under their belt.
Recruiting Mabior Chol and Levi Casboult, the club started to look dangerous and belief grew that they could contend.
On the eve of the season, Gold Coast fans were hit with a tragic news to which they learned that King had ruptured his ACL and wouldn't play in 2022.
Despite entering the year without their greatest prospect, Stuart Dew and his staff were determined to roll with the punches and prevail in the face of adversity.
The opening four rounds saw a mixed bag of results, with the side starting the year well with a strong victory over West Coast.
However, they dropped the next two games to Melbourne (13 points) and GWS (26) before knocking off a much improved Carlton outfit.
Dew's men would lose their next three, including a Q Clash by 52 points, as cracks started to show.
Although doubt was creeping in to the legitimacy of the Gold Coast side, they managed to claw themselves back into contention, defeating Sydney and Fremantle in successive weeks.
At the bye, the Suns managed to level their win/loss record, sitting 6-6.
Unfortunately, another player fell victim to an ACL injury, with Lachie Weller joining King on the sideline.
The month after the mid-season break had been lined up perfectly for the Suns to aggressively attack the finals race and put themselves in a position to make history.
Taking care of Adelaide, Gold Coast unfortunately fell short of Port Adelaide and Collingwood by a combined seven points.
With the season on the line, the footy Gods would be in favour of Dew's side, which gave them an opportunity to steal victory from Richmond after the siren.
Noah Anderson's cool head was on show as he casually slotted a goal from 35 metres out, replicating NRL convert Karmichael Hunt's major 10 years later to break Tiger fan's hearts again.
From round 17, punters had the Suns making the eight, with the run-home deemed relatively easy given the-then current ladder position.
However, a disappointing final six weeks resulted in only two wins and an opportunity gone begging.
Gold Coast finished in 10th position, two wins outside the eight but put together arguably their greatest ever season.
The Hope
Ben King's return
As mentioned, King injured his knee a month before the season got underway in what was a massive blow for the club given his previous year.
At only 21 years of age, the twin of St Kilda player Max is bound to take the competition by storm, with experts believing he is in line to be the next big thing.
Similar with his agility and athleticism, King can be likened to Saints legend Nick Riewoldt and should attempt to model his game on the number 12.
Displaying a similarly slow start to Riewoldt, both were kept to a goal a game averages in their opening seasons before dramatically improving.
As long as he stays fit, King will provide the Suns with plenty of answers up forward for years to come.
Sydney/Fremantle wins
When reflecting on a season, clubs will look at what worked, what didn't and what can be improved on.
What definitely worked was the coaching strategies put in place against Sydney and Fremantle in back-to-back weeks.
The Swans are a contested team, who pride themselves on pressure and winning the ball at the coalface.
Gold Coast knew this and did their homework, essentially beating them at their own game.
Travelling to the SCG, the Suns were able to bully their opposition into turnovers and field positioning, which was too much to bare for John Longmire.
The week following was a similar output, with the conditions dictating how football should be played.
In bleak and wet conditions, Dew's men played smart and in unison, surging the ball forward and making it hard for the Dockers to rebound.
Two perfect coaching performances that can give the Gold Coast immense confidence heading into 2023.
Youth
Given that the club entered the league in 2011, it was always going to take a while to get settled and start competing.
As players came and went, the Suns always seemed to find it difficult to retain key players, which would help create history for the expansion club.
Although it's taken over a decade, fans are likely to be most excited by the current crop.
Led by Touk Miller, Gold Coast look like they've created an environment where young stars can thrive which is reflected by Rowell, Anderson, King, Budarick, Ainsworth and other player's improvement.
Ranking 15th in the competition for average age (23.9), there is plenty of upside there for the club that experience can only add to.
The Hurt
Missing Finals
Although it was arguably the club's best year in their existence, the ultimate goal is to make finals and give yourselves the best chance at premiership glory.
In what now can be used as a driving factor, the Suns gave themselves plenty of opportunities and were in contention to join in on the September action.
However, perhaps due to lack of experience, Gold Coast fell at numerous hurdles, ultimately paying the price.
As noted, it was a great year for the club, but what can they produce the following year?
Can they back it up?
In 2014, the Suns were on the brink of making finals, but four consecutive losses to end the season put the brakes on what could've been ground breaking.
Instead, it resulted in a massive backwards step with the side finishing 16th, 15th, 17th, 17th and 19th the following seasons.
However, the difference is that in all those campaigns, they lost in the final round.
That wasn't the case in 2022.
The Clanger
Rankine's likely departure
The almost-certain departure of Izak Rankine has run waves through the club, with disappointment the resounding feeling coming from the leaders.
Rankine's decision to return to his home state, South Australia, has caused frustration in the Gold Coast camp and co-captain Miller expressed that.
“I’ll be honest, it is disappointing. I feel like for us, we felt like Izak, we put a lot of time into him,” Miller said, according to Fox Sports.
“For the player that he is and going to become, I feel like we had a massive hand in that and trying to create that and surround him with a culture where he can thrive and relish.
“He’s really just started to give us the goods towards the end there.”
Rankine kicked 29 goals in 2022 and was quickly turning into a matchwinner for the Suns.
He kicked three or more majors on five occasions and started to show why he was a high draft pick.
The void will be hard to fill for Gold Coast, but the bitter feeling is what's hurting more.
What do Gold Coast need?
The Suns seem to be building a formidable midfield and forward set up, headed by Miller and Chol respectively.
However, at times, the Gold Coast defence has leaked too many scores for the opposition, which is reflected in their 102.8 per cent and seventh ranking for Points Against (1820).
Although Sam Collins, Sean Lemmens, Caleb Graham and Brandon Ellis battle valiantly, assistance in this area could only help bolster the backline.
They've proven to be able to win the ball in tight and kick a winning score but sometimes lack an effective defensive output which will put them in greater positions to win games.
Another area of improvement could be to look at drafting or acquiring a back-up ruckman for Jarrod Witts.
Chol and Casboult are pinch-hitting at times to give the ex-Pie a breather, but the side would benefit from another tall who could play anywhere.
Players linked to the club
Essendon skipper Dyson Heppell has been linked to a move to the Gold Coast, as an on-field coach to help steer the Suns to clearer waters.
Heppell is weighing up between staying put or moving, with the potential of coaching up north a factor to consider in the decision making process.
2022 Out-of-contract players
| Player Name | Status |
| Charlie Constable | Unrestricted Free Agent |
| Oskar Faulkhead | Out-of-contract |
| Oleg Markov | Out-of-contract |
| Hewego Paul Oea | Out-of-contract |
Retirees and Delistings
| Player Name | Status |
| Matt Conroy | Delisted |
| Jez McLennan | Delisted |
| Patrick Murtagh | Delisted |
| Rhys Nicholls | Delisted |
