SEN’s Dwayne Russell believes the Gold Coast Suns would benefit from a name change.
Much like the Bulldogs changed from Footscray to the Western Bulldogs in the ‘90s, Russell thinks the Suns should adopt a name that focuses on an entire region instead of just one city.
Russell thinks the Dogs’ move to update their name has been a big success looking back over 27 years.
“The Western Bulldogs changed their name from Footscray to the Western Bulldogs,” Russell told SEN Afternoons.
“At the time everyone thought, ‘Well, what’s that mean? Western what? Is it Western South Australia? Is it Western Australia? Is it Western Victoria?’.
“But we all knew it was Footscray and it’s the west of Victoria because Footscray have been around long enough to understand that it’s Western Victoria.
“The Western Bulldogs I think has been a great name change and they play their games in the west.
“They play at Marvel Stadium, three games in Ballarat, so they’re playing their games in the west and their home base is at Footscray.”
The name Russell would pick for Gold Coast is the Northern Suns, with the club focusing on the wider Queensland and Northern Territory region as well as still playing most of their games at Gold Coast’s Heritage Bank Stadium.
Given the Suns already play games in Darwin and occasionally Cairns, Russell feels any such move would be seamless.
“What if the Gold Coast Suns change their name to the Northern Suns and play three in Darwin, play a game in Cairns and maybe a game in Alice Springs every year?” Russell asked.
“This Northern Territory thing works, I think the territory needs a team of their own.
“What if they change their name to the Northern Suns, but still be on the Gold Coast?
“We’d all know them as the Gold Coast team – like we all know the Western Bulldogs are Footscray – but they’d be the team for Northern Australia.
“What about that as a marketing change for them?”
While some fans would no doubt want to keep the Gold Coast name, Russell believes a change to Northern would work in a similar fashion to the Bulldogs.
“That’s what I’d do,” Russell said.
“I’d make them the Northern Suns, I think it’s worked for the Western Bulldogs.
“There was a lot of upset Footscray fans at the time when the Bulldogs made that change.
“I think it’s worked for them, and I think it would work for the Northern Suns as well.
“I think they’re going to play games in Darwin for quite a while now.
“If they’re locking in three in Darwin or three in the territory and one in Cairns, make them the Northern Suns rather than the Gold Coast.”
The Suns play 11 home games in 2023, nine of those at Heritage Bank Stadium and two at Darwin’s TIO Stadium.