Gold Coast Suns aim for finals after strong win

Tony Cochrane, the former chairman of the Gold Coast Suns, has made a surprising bet on his old team. He believes they will make the finals for the first time. Cochrane placed a $25,000 bet at 500-1 odds that the Suns will finish in the top four of the AFL season. This confidence comes after the Suns started their season with a big win against the West Coast Eagles. They won by 87 points, setting a club record. Cochrane thinks this might be their year to turn things around after struggling for many seasons. Cochrane believes coach Damien Hardwick has prepared the team well. He highlights new signings like Daniel Rioli and John Noble as key improvements. He is very optimistic about the Suns' chances this year, saying many teams will be wary of playing against them. Cochrane also mentioned the growing popularity of AFL on the Gold Coast. He claims the Suns have surpassed the local NRL team, the Titans, in fan support. He sees more kids wearing Suns gear and believes AFL is thriving in the area.