“Why didn’t we want to win the game?”
That’s the question coach Stuart Dew delivered to Gold Coast’s players after another fourth-quarter AFL nightmare against St Kilda on Saturday.
Against a team that hadn’t won since the opening round and trailing by 31 points on the road, Gold Coast somehow turned a regulation victory into a two-point loss.
As St Kilda scored five goals and three behinds in the last quarter, the Suns notched not one single point.
It means in the past four matches, the Suns have scored just two behinds in the four final quarters of those games combined.
It’s a stat Dew labelled alarming and a problem he’s challenging his players to solve.
“It’s not a fitness thing in the last quarter, you can always find a bit, it’s who is going to take the intercept mark? Who’s going to take that bold kick? Who’s going to take the shot at goal and kick it?” he said.
“We didn’t have anyone unfortunately in the last quarter and that’s why it shows up how it does.”
While Dew bemoaned a lack of on-field leadership from his team, that did not include off-contract captain Tom Lynch.
Criticised by ex-Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd for playing “like a beaten man in a hopeless situation” in recent weeks, Lynch kicked three goals for the Suns but also missed a couple of gettable ones which would have iced the game for the hosts.
Dew said he has no issue whatsoever with Lynch’s performances or leadership.
“His effort around the club can’t be questioned,” Dew said.
“I understand there’s interest, there’s gossip, there’s stories but if you want to come down and watch us train you’ll see a captain that trains his arse off for the footy club and does everything he can to get up for the game.
“Tonight he should be proud of his game.”