Gold Coast Suns Preview 2026

Gold Coast = Good now

Good Gold Coast players = Still good

Gold Coast good now = Reinstating my membership

Gold Coast (good now) are one of the more concentrated fantasy teams in GDS. Which is a semi-fancy way of saying that when the Suns score well, it usually funnels through a fairly small core of trusted ball-winners and users, with the rest of the list oscillating wildly depending on role and game script. That said, this is also a list absolutely loaded with young players hovering right on the edge of relevance. The Suns are no longer a “write-off” matchup for fantasy scoring, but they’re still a team where you want to be selective, nail the picks and you’re rewarded, miss them and you’re left wondering why you believed sweaty preseason training hype videos in the first place.

The GDS Anchors

Good Gold Coast players = Still good

Let’s talk safety for the Suns: Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell. Last season Rowell was actually Gold Coast’s best fantasy scorer, averaging 117 points per game in 2025, and that came alongside a Brownlow Medal (?!) and league-leading tackle and clearance numbers.

Anderson wasn’t far behind, averaging 115 GDS Fantasy points per game, capping off a season that also earned him All Australian honours and a Brownlow podium spot right alongside Rowell. I’ve got them in the same tier, the beauty though is in how they score so differently.

You have (Brownlow Medalist) Matt Rowell who is your bollocking bull, tackling, clearance machine - you then on the other hand have Noah Anderson who thrives off the outside ball, using his foot skills and impacting the scoreboard. Whether it’s +4 GDS points with a cuddle or +4 GDS points using the laces, these two have elite scoring pedigree that should leave coaches happy once again.

What’s new in 2026?

Gold Coast = Good now

And now everyone wants in… including the arrival of chef Christian Petracca from Melbourne. Petracca’s had a long history as a high-end fantasy midfielder, averaging 121 in his best season and hitting 100+ across the vast majority of his career. That’s all well and good but what really gets the pits sweating is the fact he’s coming into this side as a forward in GDS. There are question marks around who plays where, roles, and further more nonce chat but I for one am not entering the season waiting to find out.

New 2026 Signings

Beau Addinsall (No.18 draft pick, Academy), Koby Coulson (No.46 draft pick, Academy), Dylan Patterson (No.5 draft pick, Academy), Christian Petracca (trade, Melbourne), Jai Murray (No.17 draft pick, Academy), Avery Thomas (No.28 draft pick), Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (trade, Western Bulldogs), Zeke Uwland (No.2 draft pick, Academy) - As per offical AFL website

Departed Players

Ben Ainsworth (trade, Carlton), Tom Berry (delisted), Connor Budarick (trade, Western Bulldogs), Brayden Fiorini (trade, Essendon), Sam Flanders (trade, St Kilda), Lloyd Johnston (delisted), Sean Lemmens (retired), Malcolm Rosas jnr (trade, Sydney), Alex Sexton (delisted), David Swallow (retired) - As per offical AFL website

2026 GDS Position Changes

Player	Club	2025 Position	2026 Position
Ben Jepson	Gold Coast Suns	Defender	Midfielder
Christian Petracca	Gold Coast Suns	Midfielder	Forward
Jy Farrar	Gold Coast Suns	Defender	Forward
Lachie Weller	Gold Coast Suns	Defender	Midfielder
Leonardo Lombard	Gold Coast Suns	Midfielder	Forward
Will Graham	Gold Coast Suns	Midfielder	Forward

Dynasty Strengths

Gold Coast players = Still good (which means young bulls may have to wait there turn a little more)

A player I can see making a somewhat immediate impact is rookie Zeke Uwland. Ever heard of Errol Gulden? The Suns’ top draft pick and shiny new preseason toy, Zeke Uwland, has been likened to the Sydney star more than once, a comparison Zeke himself has leaned into, admitting Gulden is the blueprint.

That said, it’s probably important we all keep our trousers on (and preferably dry). Tempering expectations is wildly unsexy, especially when phrases like “baby Errol Gulden” start floating around, but a little caution might save some emotional damage. Injury-wise, Zeke lost a chunk of 2025 to back issues, yet showed late in the year that he can absolutely hit the ground running if given opportunity.

For me, the Under 22s competition is the sweet spot, with the sensible move being to let the first couple of games through to the keeper.

Under 22 Eligable Players

Name	Position	Team
Beau Addinsall	MID	Gold Coast SUNS
Jai Murray	MID	Gold Coast SUNS
Zeke Uwland	MID	Gold Coast SUNS
Koby Coulson	MID	Gold Coast SUNS
Dylan Patterson	DEF	Gold Coast SUNS
Avery Thomas	DEF	Gold Coast SUNS
Asher Eastham	FWD	Gold Coast Suns
Bailey Humphrey	FWD	Gold Coast Suns
Cooper Bell	DEF	Gold Coast Suns
Ethan Read	FWD	Gold Coast Suns
Jake Rogers	FWD	Gold Coast Suns
Jed Walter	FWD	Gold Coast Suns
Lachlan Gulbin	FWD	Gold Coast Suns
Leonardo Lombard	FWD	Gold Coast Suns
Max Knobel	RUK	Gold Coast Suns
Will Graham	FWD	Gold Coast Suns

Fixtures and scoring Profile

Gold Coast good now = reinstating my membership - never losing a game again - fixtures don’t scare me.

Fixtures scare me… However Gold Coast’s fixture profile offers sneaky upside, particularly against teams that allow uncontested marks and defensive chains. Historically, Suns games can swing between low-possession scrambles and fantasy-friendly transition footy depending on opponent pressure.

When the Suns are allowed to move the ball laterally and reset, their key fantasy pieces benefit significantly and that’s where fixture timing becomes crucial for GDS coaches planning transfers.

Byes rounds: 3 and 12

First 5 Fixtures: Geelong, West Coast, Richmond, Bye, Melbourne

PODs and Breakout Potential 

Good Gold Coast players = Still good (these guys could be even better this year)

Zekes brother… Bodhi Uwland is the Suns’ resident sleeper-with-a-pathway in 2026. He’s already shown he can hang at AFL level, including a Round 12 Rising Star nod and consistent defensive production (think 3 rebound 50s, 4.5 intercepts, and 4.3 marks per game). That might sound like “just defender stats,” but anyone who’s played GDS knows rebound and intercept possessions are fantasy currency, especially when paired with efficient ball use.

If Gold Coast continue to trust him with freedom to roam and he avoids being pigeonholed into purely lockdown minutes, his scoring ceiling threads neatly into the kind of POD output that turns eyebrows into transfer market purchases.

Another I’m keeping a very very squinty eye pulse on is Ethan Read. Third year breakouts are common, Jarrod Witts is getting on in age and if Hardwick leans Read’s versatility over Moyles more traditional ruckmanship, then Read could become a very tasty option!

Where the Risk Lives

Gold Coast = good now

Good Gold Coast players = still good

What about the players considered… okay?

I mentioned earlier the arrival of Christian Petracca who WILL demand CBA’s because he’s well… Christian Petracca. So what about the likes of Touk Miller, Bailey Humphrey and up and comers like Leo Lombard and Alex Davies? There’s a lot of mouths to feed in this midfield and it’s what we call in the fantasy business - opportunity compression writ large. Anderson and Rowell will remain the Suns’ engine room mainstays (business as usual), but watch out for Miller, Humphrey and Davies specifically stepping on each other’s toes; with Petracca in the mix, there’s going to be a lot less ball to go around than owners might hope.

Another potential trap is that the Gold Coast suns are good now which in turn can lead to overestimating role security. As the team improves (because we’re good now), some of the “reliable” defensive scorers may simply have less to do, especially if the Suns spend more time controlling games rather than absorbing pressure. There’s also volatility in the mid-tier, players returning from injury or role tweaks can quickly cannibalise each other’s scoring. In short: the Suns are improving, and improvement doesn’t always equal fantasy safety. Players to note potential regression here are John Noble, Joel Jeffery and Touk Miller.

In summary

Gold Coast Suns = Good ❤️💛