The Gold Coast Suns have pulled off a successful demolition job of Redland on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Tidbold Park, the Suns never looking back after overcoming a first quarter burst from the Bombers to claim a percentage-boosting 92-point win.
The Suns had strong performers all over the park, but were led by skipper Keegan Brooksby (23 disposals, 20 hit-outs, four goals), Darcy Macpherson (21 disposals, eight marks, four goals) and Mitch Hallahan (30 disposals, two goals) on the way to a 9.6 (60) to 23.14 (152) thumping.
Gold Coast got off to a flyer with the first five scoring shots of the game, and to make matters worse for the Bombers they lost Darcy Cameron-Reeves (shoulder) following a heavy bump from Jarrad Grant before a goal was kicked.
But the plucky Bombers kicked into gear halfway through the term, booting 5.0, including a goal to Adrian Williams after a successful chase down and subsequent holding the ball call against Grant, to head into the first break eight points ahead.
However, from there the Suns swung the momentum back in their favour and had the ball on a string for the remainder of the match, winning the disposal count 416-290 as Redland’s structures failed to cope with the onslaught.
The glimmer of hope the Bombers would have had at half-time of a comeback was snuffed out in the third term, as the Suns piled on eight unanswered goals to put the game beyond doubt.
2016 draftees Jack Scrimshaw (21 disposals, eight marks), Will Brodie (27 disposals) and Brad Scheer (20 disposals) showed their great potential, slotting nicely into a Suns side that controlled the tempo and moved the ball with precision.
Brooksby, in tandem with the returning Dan Currie, helped give the Suns midfield first use of the ball, winning the hit-outs 56-40.
Coach Stephen Daniel was rapt with the victory following last week’s defeat to the Giants.
“We were probably a bit disappointed last week to be honest with you…. We felt this week we really had to make amends,” he said.
“Redland were terrific (in the first quarter), don’t underestimate that, they certainly beat us in a number of areas and we wanted to address that.
“I just told the boys ‘let’s just hang in there, hang tough, keep our composure’, because last week we lost our composure a little bit when things weren’t going our way.
“One of our main focuses of course was contested footy, we certainly got beaten in that area last week so we were pretty disappointed with it and this week we ended up being plus 32 in the end.
“It was something we wanted to address and we certainly did. Really happy with that.”
Coach Daniel heaped praise on his players, who stood tall following a difficult week on the whole for the Gold Coast football club.
“Keegan Brooksby played a great captains role. I think Darcy Macpherson was really good, he’s certainly pushing for senior selection at the moment.
“Ah Chee (20 disposals, two goals) came back and was great, Jack Leslie (10 disposals, two rebound 50s) down back was really great too coming back to us.
“Mitch Hallahan was probably our best player and Jesse Lonergan (31 disposals, six marks), they were really pivotal those two boys right through the middle of the ground.”
Of the embattled Bombers side, skipper Hayden Bertoli-Simmonds (27 disposals, six tackles), former Sun Clay Cameron (24 disposals, one goal) and Aaron Christensen (3.1) were gallant.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Bombers next week, as they travel south of the Tweed to Henson Park to take on a red-hot Sydney University outfit, who dispatched of 2016 premiers the Giants to the tune of 43 points on Saturday.
Meanwhile the Suns will be confident heading into their clash with Aspley at South Pine Sports Complex next Saturday, the second match of a blockbuster NEAFL double header, following the Brisbane Lions taking on Southport.
Redland Bombers v Gold Coast Suns at Tidbold Park
GOLD COAST 3.4 8.6 16.11 23.14 (152)
REDLAND 5.0 6.1 9.4 9.6 (60)
GOALS – Gold Coast: D Macpherson 4, K Brooksby 4, C Loersch 3, C Ah Chee 2, L McDonald 2, M Hallahan 2, R Davis 2, N Kempe, J Grant, T McKenzie, J Schoenfeld. Redland: A Christensen 3, K Walsh, C Cameron, J Paine, C Walker, S Michael, A Williams.
BEST – Gold Coast: M Hallahan, J Lonergan, D Macpherson, J Leslie, K Brooksby, C Loersch. Redland: H Bertoli-Simmonds, C Walker, C Cameron, A Christensen, S Cormick.