Suns ‘kids’ making an impression

He’s lone 20 himself, but Brisbane Lions midfielder Jaspa Fletcher can’t assistance but beryllium impressed by the “young kids” that are lasting retired astatine the Gold Coast Suns.

Brisbane and Gold Coast conscionable connected Sunday nighttime astatine the Gabba, and it’s 1 of the uncommon occasions successful caller QClash past successful which a Suns triumph would not beryllium considered an upset specified is their ain signifier and the Lions’ mediocre commencement to the season.

Under caller manager Damien Hardwick, the Suns person won 4 from 7 this year, portion the Lions person already mislaid 5 matches.

“I’m not amazed astatine each by however the Suns are going,” Fletcher said.

“They person a caller coach, a caller start, they’ve got a mates of large young kids coming in, and radical similar (Noah) Anderson and (Matt) Rowell are truly starting to amusement themselves.

“They did past year, but they’re going to different level, truthful the Suns are going to beryllium a truly breathtaking broadside successful the future.”

The Coast’s “kids” see 18-year-old guardant Jed Walter, the Palm Beach Currumbin inferior who was the 3rd prime successful past year’s AFL draft.

Having flooded a collarbone wounded helium suffered successful the pre-season, Walter has looked thing but retired of spot successful his 5 elder appearances.

“I’ve got to bring my competitiveness and my pressure,” the Suns academy merchandise said.

“Pressuring the ball, bringing the shot to ground, winning oregon halving contests … arsenic agelong arsenic I’m doing that, and the goals volition come.

“`Dimma’ (Hardwick) is truly beardown connected his relation players, and who plays the strategy and their roles truly well.

“We privation to beryllium a finals teams and challenging for finals and premierships. We’re connected the close track, and we’re going to get stronger arsenic the play goes on.”

Fletcher, who was a portion of the Lions academy earlier making his AFL debut for Brisbane past year, said his broadside was keen to marque up for past Thursday’s 54-point nonaccomplishment to the GWS Giants successful Canberra.

“We conscionable didn’t crook up and enactment arsenic hard arsenic we usually do,” said Fletcher, who added his ain signifier was “down” successful the dense defeat.

“We’ve got to commencement getting our signifier backmost and truly stringing immoderate games together.

“We’ve decidedly got the content to spell connected a large wining streak. We’ve conscionable got to excavation successful and get the process done.

“I’m definite the 23 that spell retired determination this Sunday are going to springiness it everything.”