Jarrod Witts' rucking wares are being heralded as All-Australian worthy, while Gold Coast, in reach of a top-four finish, keep their feet in new AFL territory.
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See subscription optionsThe Suns' historic 66-point QClash victory on Saturday gave them, with five regular-season games to play, a club-best 12th win this season.
Four of those games come against teams not in finals contention, leaving the Suns in the hunt for a top-four finish in what would be their maiden post-season foray.
Witts, two games shy of his 200th AFL game, has been critical in that run.
The 32-year-old helped turn the screws against the Brisbane Lions on Saturday as the Suns' midfield upstaged the Lions' for their biggest QClash win.
Unprompted, Hardwick launched a campaign for the ruckman post-game.
"Can I make a statement about Jarrod Witts? Can we start having a conversation?" he posed when asked about the performance of Witts' star on-ballers Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson.
"I watched TV the other day, they had a list of ruckmen that are in the mix. Go and have a look at what our guy's done to all those guys."
Before Saturday, Witts had collected the seventh-most coaches' votes of all ruckmen, his 26 dwarfed by leaders Brodie Grundy (65) and Max Gawn (59).
"Have the conversation about how good this guy's become,": Hardwick said.
"These guys (Suns midfielders) should be buying him coffee every day. Unbelievable.
"I'd love to have him as All-Australian … I wouldn't pick another one."
The Suns play Richmond, Carlton, GWS, Essendon and Port Adelaide in the run to a potential first finals campaign.
Only the Giants are a shot of joining them, although emotion will be high when the Power play their final game under long-time mentor Ken Hinkley.
"It is every side's challenge, isn't it," Hardwick said.
"The sides we are talking about, they are going to have their moments and they are going to play well.
"At various stages we haven't beaten those sides we should have beaten and that is going to be our next challenge.
"If we concentrate firmly on the next shift, where our feet are right now, we are going to be OK."
Australian Associated Press
