Suns must ignore AFL white noise: Eade

Gold Coast coach Rodney Eade has warned against any drastic changes as the Suns endure a nightmare start to the AFL season.

Rated as potential finalists during the summer, the Suns have opened horribly with losses to Melbourne and St Kilda.

They have also lost Jaeger O’Meara for the season through injury and now captain Gary Ablett is out indefinitely with his ongoing shoulder troubles.

All this means a fierce spotlight on the expansion team, and Eade said the Suns must stick to their guns.

“It’s no good throwing the baby out with the bath water and throwing everything upside down,” he told the AFL 360 program.

“There’s a lot of white noise and it happens to all clubs at some stage.

“You can’t control that white noise – it’s really what happens (within the club).

“We’re not too perturbed by what people say outside – if they throw arrows, they throw arrows.”

Back in senior coaching after a three-year break, Eade is also confident about himself.

Asked if he was doubting himself, Eade replied: “Not at all.

“I know the right way to go about it.”

The Suns will face another stern test this Sunday when they face Geelong, who are also winless, at Simonds Stadium.

“We just have to grow and not rely on Gary and not rely on Jaeger O’Meara and other players who aren’t playing,” he said.

“We know we have to stand up.

“Maybe in the past they haven’t been able to do that, so that’s the thing we have to be able to teach.

“How long that takes, I’m not too sure.”

Eade was asked to comment on speculation that here is a disconnect between Ablett and the club.

“There’s nothing that I know of … he has some pretty close people around,” Eade said.

“Nothing at all has been said like that – I would have thought everything is fine.

“It’s probably a bit of rubbish … a bit of rumour-mongering.”

Eade was optimistic that Ablett would miss a maximum of five weeks.

He had season-ending surgery on his left shoulder last July and the joint struggled with several knocks during the losses to Melbourne and St Kilda.

The Suns coach is adamant that Ablett will not need more surgery on the shoulder.

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