AFL’s northern child has struggled but now Gold Coast Suns look to the future

As the first expansion club introduced into the AFL since Port Adelaide in 1997, the Gold Coast Suns have struggled to fulfil expectations, and offer lessons for Tasmania. Photograph: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos/Getty Images

In a week where Tasmania’s true believers are celebrating their long-awaited acceptance by the AFL, an opportunity presents for the Gold Coast Suns to take a significant stand.

More than a decade of below-par performance has made the Suns a subject of derision, with critics often linking the Gold Coast’s struggles to the previous snubbing of Tasmania.