The 2023 Gold Coast Suns season was Gold Coast's 13th season competing in the Australian Football League (AFL) and 15th overall. The club also fielded a women's side that competed in the AFLW's 8th season, an AFL reserves team in the Victorian Football League (VFL), and Academy teams in the Talent League Boys and Talent League Girls competitions.
AFL
Season summary The 2023 season was Gold Coast's sixth season being coached by Stuart Dew. The season would also be Dew's last season as coach of the Suns. He coached his last game for Gold Coast in round 17. For the second season Jarrod Witts & Touk Miller captained the Suns. The 2023 AFL season would also be the first and last season of the home ground being named Heritage Bank Stadium.
Gold Coast had a slow start to the season losing four of their first five matches. The Suns then won five of their next seven matches to make the win-loss record 6-6 and putting them 11th on the ladder.
Gold Coast played four more matches with Stuart Dew as their coach until he was sacked. The only game they won out of their last four matches with Dew was a 67-point win against Hawthorn at Heritage Bank Stadium. Gold Coast's hired former Geelong & St Kilda player Steven King to act as their Caretaker Coach for the rest of the 2023 season. The Suns won two of their last six matches of the season finishing 15th place with a win-loss record of 9 wins and 14 losses.
Pre-season In an unofficial match simulation, Gold Coast were defeated by Essendon by five points at Austworld Centre Oval. The match simulation was played with six quarters that lasted 25 minutes each. GWS defeated Gold Coast in the official AFL practice match by 44 points. The game was played at Manuka Oval.
Coaching staff Stuart Dew coached his sixth season for Gold Coast in 2023. Dew coached the Suns for the first 17 games of the season. After Dew was sacked by the club, Gold Coast hired Steven King to coach the Suns for the last 7 games of the season.
On 21 August 2023, Damien Hardwick (who had resigned as coach on 22 May 2023) was announced as the senior coach of the Gold Coast Suns on a six-year contract, starting from the 2024 season.
+2023 Gold Coast coaching staffRoleNameSenior CoachStuart Dew (R1-R17)Caretaker Coach, Senior Assistant Coach & Midfield CoachSteven KingAssistant Coach - ForwardsBrad MillerAssistant Coach - DefendersTate KaeslerHead of DevelopmentRhyce ShawDevelopment CoachJackson Kornberg
2023 playing squad
Changes +Deletions from playing listPlayerReasonRefJack BowesTrade to GeelongMatt ConroyDelistedJosh CorbettTrade to FremantleJez McLennanDelistedOleg MarkovDelistedPatrick MurtaghDelistedRhys NichollsDelistedIzak RankineTrade to AdelaideRory ThompsonRetired +Additions to playing listPlayerReasonRefJed AndersonPre-Season Supplemental Selection PeriodTom BerryTrade from BrisbaneConnor BlakelyRookie DraftBailey HumphreyNo 6, 2022 National DraftLloyd JohnstonCategory B RookieBen LongTrade from St KildaBrodie McLaughlinPre-Season Supplemental Selection PeriodJake SteinRookie Draft
Statistics PlayerGamesGBKHDTMHOMilestones Mabior Chol18107491261142825 Rory Atkins2173324110434519870 Sam Flanders3145317916033935750 Brandon Ellis416781959328837860 Alex Davies5913606912939150 Alex Sexton68542914435140 Nick Holman71913810113223384480 Brayden Fiorini817482049830244690 Ben Ainsworth9212115228143371391000100 Games (Round 4) Charlie Ballard10231023063293291420 Touk Miller11134119113332468500 Sam Day12311136195102 Jack Lukosius1322392225641297241400 Lachie Weller149021385619415610 Noah Anderson15231415380239619791040 Tom Berry1660224164019100Club Debut (Round 8) Jed Anderson17000000000 Matt Rowell182372273214487190430 Bailey Humphrey191911121488823649320AFL Debut (Round 4) Jeremy Sharp20000000000 James Tsitas2143010919480 Ben Long2215011145717134420Club Debut (Round 1) Sean Lemmens231101832210519380 David Swallow24231411222160382101780200 Games (Round 3) 100 Goals (Round 24) Sam Collins252300176104280371270 Connor Blakely26000000000 Wil Powell27180327590365421150 Jarrod Witts2821421511392905551824150 Games (Round 8) Chris Burgees29102325013 Levi Casboult3020241113857195299593 Mac Andrew3117001483918724880 Bodhi Uwland3230019625350AFL Debut (Round 1) Charlie Constable33200369452120 Ben King342040211124615896720100 Goals (Round 6) Connor Budarick35200296355100 Elijah Hollands36932724211423230 Oscar Faulkhead37000000000 Lloyd Johnston3820016824340AFL Debut (Round 23) Joel Jeffrey4075454136723160 Malcolm Rosas411919171096817742380 Jake Stein42000000000 Brodie McLaughlin43000000000 Darcy Macpherson442332306135441481280 Sandy Brock45000000000 Caleb Graham46000000000 Hewago Oea4783141307120110 Ned Moyle4920063910053AFL Debut (Round 4) Jy Farrar5091148297717210
Results +KeysHHome gameAAway gameNNeutral venue game +Table of 2023 AFL Season ResultsRoundDateResultScoreOpponentScoreGroundAttendance118 March97611614110Heritage Bank StadiumH13,648226 March1114801612108Marvel StadiumA32,91532 April10137371254Heritage Bank StadiumH13,12248 April812601711113Marvel StadiumA21,049514 April1312901510100Norwood OvalN9,329623 April14139771254Heritage Bank StadiumH9,672730 April1167261248Marvel StadiumA23,66486 May13785131290Heritage Bank StadiumH11,440912 May16171136743Optus StadiumA36,2191020 May910641611107GabbaA23,2861127 May13684Western Bulldogs111177TIO StadiumN9,316123 June161611213987TIO StadiumN10,77213Bye1418 June813611812120MCGA29,6021525 June14171015434Heritage Bank StadiumH14,242161 July5124218121Heritage Bank StadiumH22,483178 July117731610106Adelaide OvalA31,0531815 July1111778351Heritage Bank StadiumH13,0151923 July99631513103Manuka OvalA10,0262029 July1569671355Heritage Bank StadiumH14,097215 August9761131189Adelaide OvalA35,7772212 August131290186114SCGA33,9112319 August13987131391Heritage Bank StadiumH19,2532426 August1413972012132Blundstone ArenaA4,378
Ladder
Awards
Club Awards Source:
Club Champion: Noah Anderson Player's Player: Matt Rowell Heritage Bank Emerging Player: Sam Flanders HOSTPLUS Most Professional: Levi Casboult Life Membership: Sam Day & Rory Thompson Jarrod Harbrow Community Award: Brodie McLaughlin SIXT Leading Goalkicker: Ben King Academy Players of the Year: Jed Walter
League Awards Source:
22 Under 22 team: Noah Anderson
VFL
Season summary The 2023 VFL season was Gold Coast's first season being coached by former Brisbane Lions player Josh Drummond. The Sun's were captained by James Tsitas. Gold Coast had their best season in the VFL in 2023. The Suns only lost two games throughout the entire year.
Gold Coast won their first eight games of the season with an average margin of 38. The first game the club lost was in round nine against Werribee by two points. The Suns then won their next four games with an average margin of 78 points. In round 15, 17th placed Essendon defeated Gold Coast by a single point at Windy Hill. Gold Coast then won their last four games of the season finishing at first place at the end of the home & away season.
Gold Coast defeated Brisbane in the qualifying final by 43 points to put them in the preliminary final. In the preliminary final the Suns defeated the Box Hill Hawks by 15 points to place them in their first ever VFL grand final. Gold Coast defeated the Werribee Tigers by 19 points to become the 2023 VFL premiers for the first time.
2023 playing squad
Statistics Source: PlayerGamesGBKHDMTHOMilestones Jake Rogers 51 3 1 0 5 15 20 1 7 0 VFL debut (Round 14) Cody Harrington 52 5 3 1 10 12 22 4 3 0 Ben O'Brien 53 4 1 1 7 8 15 2 4 0 VFL debut (Round 2) Josh Young 53 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 VFL debut (Round 9) Leo Lombard 54 3 1 0 18 15 33 9 14 0 VFL debut (Round 22) Taine Dawson 55 1 0 1 1 2 3 0 0 0 VFL debut (Round 8) Jared Eckersley 56 14 3 4 74 67 141 47 37 0 Nick Williams 57 5 0 0 23 10 33 14 1 0 VFL debut (Round 5) Will Derrington 58 5 2 1 24 9 33 5 3 0 VFL debut (Round 1) Morgan Ferres 59 2 0 0 5 4 9 1 3 0 Marlin Corbett 60 5 2 1 18 28 46 10 4 0 Campbell Lake 61 8 4 3 35 30 65 19 19 0 VFL debut (Round 3) Finn Hay 62 3 1 0 9 9 18 4 4 0 VFL debut (Round 15) Will Graham 64 4 2 0 15 24 39 13 11 0 VFL debut (Round 14) James Frawley 70 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Results +KeyHHome gameAAway gameNNeutral venue game
Regular season +Table of 2023 VFL Season ResultsRoundDateResultScoreOpponentScoreGround125 March12115371052Austworld Centre OvalH22 April281418211975Heritage Bank StadiumH39 April9136761450RSEA ParkA4Bye523 April201613612880Heritage Bank StadiumH630 April211113791064Swinburne CentreA76 May1710112131492Heritage Bank StadiumH813 May12476101474Fankhauser ReserveA920 May13118914791Avalon Airport OvalA1027 May2116142101777TIO StadiumN113 June79511714115ETU StadiumA12Bye1318 June22141463624Preston City OvalA1425 June245149121385Heritage Bank StadiumH152 July12476111177Windy HillA168 July22121445737Heritage Bank StadiumH17Bye1823 July171711912779Manuka OvalA1929 July13149211874Heritage Bank StadiumH20Bye2112 August1981228654SCGA2219 August231114921022Heritage Bank StadiumH
Finals series RoundDateResultScoreOpponentScoreGround1st Qualifying Final2 September1913127121284Heritage Bank StadiumH1st Preliminary Final16 September12168811773Heritage Bank StadiumHGrand Final24 September171011214993IKON ParkN
Ladder
AFLW
Season summary Cameron Joyce coached his third season at Gold Coast and Tara Bohanna was their captain for her second consecutive season.
The Sun's lost their first match of the season against Carlton by only two points but were able to win their next three matches. Gold Coast won two of their next three matches and then drew against Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval in round eight. The Suns won their next two matches and then ended the season with a loss against eighth place Sydney.
Pre Season Gold Coast were defeated by Sydney in a match simulation at Heritage Bank Stadium. Cameron Joyce kicked five of the last six goals of the game. In an official practice match the Suns versed Brisbane at Brighton Homes Arena.
Coaching staff +2023 Gold Coast AFLW coaching staffRoleNameSenior CoachCameron JoyceAssistant Coach - MidfieldersSam IlesAssistant Coach - DefendersJarrod WellsAssistant Coach - ForwardsJennifer RevellDevelopment CoachBrooks MusteyDevelopment CoachKieran Davey
Playing List
Changes +Deletions from Playing ListPlayerReasonCourtney JonesTrade to RichmondEllie HampsonTrade to BrisbaneSerene WatsonTrade to St KildaTori Groves-LittleDelistedJade PregeljDelistedAnnise BradfieldDelistedShannon DanckertDelistedKrystal ScottRetiredAshlee AtkinsRetired +Additions to Playing ListPlayerReasonClara FitzpatrickTrade from St KildaJordan MembreyTrade from CollingwoodElla MaurerTrade from North MelbourneMaddy BrancatisanoTrade from RichmondCara McCrossanNo 6, 2023 DraftMeara GirvanNo 10, 2023 Draft
Statistics PlayerGamesGBKHDTMHOJasmyn Smith1100189020Lauren Bella211004834821321257Darcie Davies31030253358202089Claudie Whitfort4114414212827021760Maddy Brancatisano51112647914322440Elise Barwick650078152120Lauren Ahrens71100783411229210Charlie Rowbottom892212511724226860Clara Fitzpatrick980035458019175Ella Maurer1040082331280Niamh McLaughlin111143566812416150Tara Bohanna12111514742599291511Lucy Single1310011055916412810Cara McCrossan14400111324280Wallis Randell1590065208518200Gabrielle Biedenweg-Webster162008412130Jamie Stanton171116452146617290Georgia Clayden181122725212428220Ashanti Bush1930110414150Daisy D'Arcy2011121066417019490Jordan Membrey21541142236750Kalinda Howarth2310010515510Alana Gee247104123649150Meara Girvan251010565911527200Jacqueline Dupuy27111379354147402566Elizabeth Keaney301103936215533320Alison Drennan33110112010122118570Tahlia Meyer34300111122480Vivien Saad3980057429928190
Results +KeyHHome gameAAway game