Breakout Gold Coast star Noah Anderson is on track to becoming the best midfielder in the competition, according to dual All-Australian David King.
Anderson has enjoyed a breakout season for the Suns, averaging a career-highs in disposals (27.8 per game), tackles (3.9) and clearances (7.3) to go with 4.3 marks and 4.4 inside 50s.
The 22-year old has particularly stood up in recent weeks as the Suns’ main midfielder since Touk Miller got struck down by injury, with Anderson averaging 32 touches and nine clearances from his last three games.
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Gold Coast Suns Press Conference | 10:21
“I think he’s going to be the best midfielder in the comp in a matter of moments. He’s a star, absolute top liner,” King said on Fox Footy’s The First Crack.
“He’s challenging guys like (Jordan) De Goey and (Patrick) Dangerfield, he really is. He has those big moments, but he’ll still build.
“The (Suns) don’t score as often as the (other) guys we just mentioned, so his numbers never look as rewarding as Dangerfield and De Goey do.
“But he is already there, it’s just a matter of recognising once you’ve see it … what this guy does at stoppage, once you see it, you can’t stop seeing it. He’s busy on his feet, he doesn’t stop and he’s on the move at all times.”
King believes the key to Anderson going to yet another level is him kicking more goals in key moments, highlighting vision from Gold Coast’s 70-point win over West Coast where the young gun fumbled the ball running inside 50 and instead looked to pass.
“This is the next part of his game. You take responsibility and you drive that through the big sticks, don’t look for other players, you are the man now in this midfield,” King said.
Anderson and Matt Rowell, who were the first two overall picks in the 2019 AFL draft, blossoming into top-liners would be a welcomed sight for Suns fans, and they could well be on track to becoming the game’s best midfield duo
The pair led Gold Coast’s on-ball supremacy against the Eagles, particularly in the second term. The Suns dominated contested possessions (43-16) and clearances (27-14) and kicked an absurd 6.4 (40) from stoppage in the period – eight more points than the average AFL score kicked from stoppage over an entire game (32).
“They did it in a matter that was so brutal, the stoppage game in that second quarter was just ridiculous,” King added.
“To get all that on the scoreboard, you had to see it to believe it. I know Adam Simpson is hamstrung with who he’s got available to play, but the story is the Gold Coast for me.
“It’s the manner in which they do it. Just having Matt Rowell front up the way he does and just put his head in a hole and roll and go.”