# 2011 Gold Coast Suns season

The 2011 AFL season was the Gold Coast Suns' first season in the Australian Football League (AFL). The Gold Coast Suns reserves team also competed in the inaugural NEAFL season.

## Draft picks

| Round | Pick | Player | State/Nationality | Recruited From | League |
| 1 | 1 | David Swallow | Western Australia | East Fremantle Sharks | WAFL |
| 1 | 2 | Harley Bennell | Western Australia | Peel Thunder | WAFL |
| 1 | 3 | Sam Day | South Australia | Sturt Double Blues | SANFL |
| 1 | 7 | Josh Caddy | Victoria | Northern Knights | TAC Cup |
| 1 | 9 | Dion Prestia | Victoria | Calder Cannons | TAC Cup |
| 1 | 10 | Daniel Gorringe | South Australia | Norwood Redlegs | SANFL |
| 1 | 11 | Tom Lynch | Victoria | Dandenong Stingrays | TAC Cup |
| 1 | 13 | Seb Tape | South Australia | Glenelg Tigers | SANFL |
| 2 | 39 | Jeremy Taylor | Victoria | Geelong Falcons | TAC Cup |
| 3 | 49 | Jacob Gilbee | Tasmania | Lauderdale Bombers | TFL |
| Pre-season Draft ||||||
| 1 | 1 | Nathan Ablett | Victoria | Broadbeach Cats | QAFL |
| Rookie Draft ||||||
| 1 | 9 | Joel Tippett | Queensland | Brisbane Lions | AFL |
| 6 | 82 | Jake Crawford | Queensland | Southport Sharks | QAFL |

## Transactions
### Overview

| Players Added Via trade - Via free agency Gary Ablett Jr Nathan Bock Jared Brennan Campbell Brown Josh Fraser Jarrod Harbrow Nathan Krakouer Michael Rischitelli | Players Lost Via trade - Via free agency - |

### Trades

| 7 October 2010 | To Fremantle Dockers Peter Faulks No. 61 Pick | To Gold Coast Suns No. 55 Pick |
| 7 October 2010 | To Collingwood Magpies Andrew Krakouer John Ceglar No. 55 Pick No. 78 Pick No. 95 Pick | To Gold Coast Suns No. 25 Pick |
| 8 October 2010 | To Brisbane Lions Rohan Bewick No. 5 Pick No. 25 Pick No. 27 Pick | To Gold Coast Suns 1st Round Compensation Pick No. 10 Pick No. 48 Pick |
| 10 October 2010 | To Fremantle Dockers Tendai Mzungu No. 44 Pick | To Gold Coast Suns No. 38 Pick |
| 11 October 2010 | To North Melbourne Kangaroos Cameron Richardson | To Gold Coast Suns No. 35 Pick |
| 11 October 2010 | To Port Adelaide Power Simon Phillips No. 35 Pick | To Gold Coast Suns 2nd Round Compensation Pick |
| 11 October 2010 | To Geelong Cats No. 15 Pick | To Gold Coast Suns 1st Round Compensation Pick |

### Free Agents
#### Additions

| Player | Signed | Former Team |
| Nathan Bock | Signed 3 Year Contract | Adelaide Crows |
| Nathan Krakouer | Signed 3 Year Contract | Port Adelaide Power |
| Michael Rischitelli | Signed 3 Year Contract | Brisbane Lions |
| Campbell Brown | Signed 3 Year Contract | Hawthorn Hawks |
| Jarrod Harbrow | Signed 3 Year Contract | Western Bulldogs |
| Gary Ablett Jr | Signed 5 Year Contract | Geelong Cats |
| Josh Fraser | Signed 2 Year Contract | Collingwood Magpies |
| Jared Brennan | Signed 3 Year Contract | Brisbane Lions |

## Home and Away season
### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
| Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | % | Pts | W | D | L | W | D | L |
| 22 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 1534 | 2726 | 56.27 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 9 |

### Home and Away games
## Ladder

2011 AFL ladder :
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts | |
| 1 | Collingwood | 22 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 2592 | 1546 | 167.7 | 80 | Finals series |
| 2 | Geelong (P) | 22 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 2548 | 1619 | 157.4 | 76 | Finals series |
| 3 | Hawthorn | 22 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 2355 | 1634 | 144.1 | 72 | Finals series |
| 4 | West Coast | 22 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 2235 | 1715 | 130.3 | 68 | Finals series |
| 5 | Carlton | 22 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 2225 | 1700 | 130.9 | 58 | Finals series |
| 6 | St Kilda | 22 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 1891 | 1677 | 112.8 | 50 | Finals series |
| 7 | Sydney | 22 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 1897 | 1735 | 109.3 | 50 | Finals series |
| 8 | Essendon | 22 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 2217 | 2217 | 100.0 | 46 | Finals series |
| 9 | North Melbourne | 22 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 2106 | 2082 | 101.2 | 40 | |
| 10 | Western Bulldogs | 22 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 2060 | 2155 | 95.6 | 36 | |
| 11 | Fremantle | 22 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 1791 | 2155 | 83.1 | 36 | |
| 12 | Richmond | 22 | 8 | 13 | 1 | 2069 | 2396 | 86.4 | 34 | |
| 13 | Melbourne | 22 | 8 | 13 | 1 | 1974 | 2315 | 85.3 | 34 | |
| 14 | Adelaide | 22 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 1742 | 2193 | 79.4 | 28 | |
| 15 | Brisbane Lions | 22 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 1814 | 2240 | 81.0 | 16 | |
| 16 | Port Adelaide | 22 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 1718 | 2663 | 64.5 | 12 | |
| 17 | Gold Coast | 22 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 1534 | 2726 | 56.3 | 12 | |

### Ladder Progress

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| Ground | - | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | - | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H |
| Result | B | L | L | L | W | L | W | L | B | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | W | L | L | L | L | L | L | L |
| Position | 9 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 |
(hits the dab)

## Representative honours
### International Rules
#### Australia

| Player | Games |
| Trent McKenzie | 2 |
| Zac Smith | 2 |

## NEAFL season
### Results

| Round | Date and local time | Opponent | Scores (Gold Coast's scores indicated in bold) | Scores (Gold Coast's scores indicated in bold) | Scores (Gold Coast's scores indicated in bold) | Venue | Ladder position |
| Round | Date and local time | Opponent | Home | Away | Result | Venue | Ladder position |
| 1 | Saturday, 2 April (12:30 pm) | Mount Gravatt | 10.11 (71) | 15.9 (99) | Lost by 28 points | H & A Oval | - |
| 2 | Saturday, 9 April (7:00 pm) | Northern Territory | 11.15 (81) | 11.6 (72) | Lost by 9 points | TIO Stadium | - |
| 3 | Saturday, 16 April (11:15 am) | Aspley | 16.16 (112) | 11.13 (79) | Won by 33 points | H & A Oval | - |
| 4 | Saturday, 23 April (2:00 pm) | Labrador | 9.4 (58) | 13.12 (90) | Won by 32 points | Cooke-Murphy Reserve | - |
| 5 | Saturday, 30 April (2:00 pm) | Mount Gravatt | 11.8 (75) | 12.16 (88) | Won by 13 points | Dittmer Park | - |
| 6 | Saturday, 7 May (11:00 am) | Brisbane (res) | 17.18 (120) | 9.9 (63) | Won by 57 points | Fankhauser Reserve | - |
| 7 | Saturday, 14 May (1:50 pm) | Sydney (res) | 18.12 (120) | 3.10 (28) | Lost by 9 points | Lakeside Oval | - |
| 8 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | - |
| 9 | Saturday, 28 May (1:15 pm) | Southport | 18.5 (113) | 11.11 (77) | Won by 56 points | Sir Bruce Small Park | - |
| 10 | Saturday, 4 June (12:15 pm) | GWS | 17.9 (111) | 11.8 (74) | Lost by 37 points | Blacktown Olympic Park | - |
| 11 | Saturday, 11 June (1:00 pm) | Morningside | 12.10 (82) | 12.8 (80) | Won by 2 points | H & A Oval | - |
| 12 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | - |
| 13 | Sunday, 26 June (3:15 pm) | Redland | 11.15 (81) | 19.13 (127) | Won by 46 points | Yeronga | - |
| 14 | Saturday, 2 July (2:00 pm) | Southport | 9.6 (60) | 24.11 (155) | Won by 95 points | Fankhauser Reserve | - |
| 15 | Saturday, 9 July (3:00 pm) | Sydney (res) | 21.15 (141) | 9.8 (62) | Won by 79 points | Carrara Stadium | - |
| 16 | Saturday, 16 July (10:15 am) | Northern Territory | 10.10 (70) | 20.9 (129) | Lost by 59 points | Cazaly's Stadium | - |
| 17 | Saturday, 23 July (3:25 pm) | Brisbane (res) | 18.10 (118) | 7.13 (55) | Won by 63 points | Carrara Stadium | - |
| 18 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | - |
| 19 | Saturday, 6 August (2:00 am) | Broadbeach | 14.14 (98) | 12.8 (80) | Lost by 16 points | H & A Oval | - |
| 20 | Saturday, 13 August (2:00 am) | Brisbane (res) | 11.17 (83) | 12.7 (79) | Lost by 4 points | Coorparoo Oval | - |
| 21 | Sunday, 20 August (10:10 am) | GWS | 22.17 (149) | 7.10 (52) | Won by 97 points | Carrara Stadium | - |
| 22 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | 3rd |
Gold Coast's NEAFL finals matches :
| Week | Date and local time | Opponent | Scores (Gold Coast's scores indicated in bold) | Scores (Gold Coast's scores indicated in bold) | Scores (Gold Coast's scores indicated in bold) | Venue |
| Week | Date and local time | Opponent | Home | Away | Result | Venue |
| QF | Sunday, 28 August (2:00 pm) | Mount Gravatt | 26.12 (168) | 16.6 (102) | Lost by 66 points | Victoria Point |
| SF | Saturday, 3 September (9:10 pm) | Morningside | 7.10 (52) | 19.13 (127) | Lost by 75 points | Fankhauser Reserve |

### Ladder

2011 NEAFL Northern Conference Ladder :
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | D | PF | PA | PP | Pts |
| 1 | NT Thunder (C, P) | 18 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 2068 | 1436 | 144.0 | 56 |
| 2 | Mount Gravatt | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 1804 | 1645 | 109.7 | 48 |
| 3 | Gold Coast | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 1752 | 1461 | 119.9 | 44 |
| 4 | Morningside | 18 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 1641 | 1719 | 95.5 | 38 |
| 5 | Aspley | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1699 | 1625 | 104.6 | 36 |
| 6 | Broadbeach | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1595 | 1621 | 98.4 | 36 |
| 7 | Southport | 18 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1538 | 1664 | 92.4 | 36 |
| 8 | Redland | 18 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 1740 | 1741 | 99.9 | 32 |
| 9 | Labrador | 18 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 1389 | 1783 | 77.9 | 20 |
| 10 | Brisbane Lions | 18 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 1540 | 1864 | 82.6 | 18 |