How Gold Coast Suns fans are finding their voice and drowning out Pies supporters

Gold Coast Suns are calling it a “magic night” — where they beat premiers Collingwood on and off the field, at Carrara’s People First Stadium.

Gold Coast Suns are calling it a “magic night” - where they beat premiers Collingwood on and off the field, at Carrara’s People First Stadium.

In front of a sell-out crowd, the Suns faced a Collingwood comeback in the final minutes but kicked on to win 101-90 on Saturday and keep their season’s home ground 8-0 win record along with finals chances intact.

Suns chairman Bob East knows the win was not just on the turf but in the stands where the Magpies - with the huge travelling fan base and love of the tourist strip - tend to dominate in numbers.

“The atmosphere was magic. The crowd build in the weeks leading up to it was very quick,” Mr East said.

“All of our hospitality and all the suites and corporate areas were full weeks ahead of the game. It was really hard to get tickets, It’s excellent for the team, the club and an excellent night for the fans.”

Damien Hardwick, Senior Coach of the Suns speaks to his players on the field during the round 16 AFL match against the Collingwood Magpies at People First Stadium. (Photo by Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Mr East knows the television coverage can give a skewed view with its focus on the opposition supporter base in the western stand.

“The cameras be deceiving, they face the western stand. You find mostly the others there,” he said, referring to the opposition team supporter base.

“We think we had the dominant share of the crowd, and we certainly had the vocal majority, they were full of voice.”

Fans across southeast Queensland were scrambling to buy tickets last week.

“That’s our third sell-out game for the season. Any of the blockbuster games, which is typically your larger Melbourne based teams, they’re a hot ticket,” Mr East said.

Suns chairman Bob East at the Gold Coast Suns HQ at Carrara. Picture Glenn Hampson.

He agrees that the Suns-Collingwood clash given the rivalry and atmosphere is becoming one of the Coast’s premium annual sports clashes.

“We never know from year to year what the draw will be but I think it’s safe to say we will have a Collingwood each year. And we know our fans love it,” Mr East said.

“We also know Collingwood fans really looked forward to coming up to the Coast.”

The win against the Pies, renowned for fightbacks, gives the Coast confidence of a top-eight finals finish.

David Swallow of the Suns with fans after the home win against Collingwood. (Photo by Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“It’s a real busy part of the ladder where we are. But we’re absolutely in the hunt,” Mr East said.

“We’re completing round 16, we have to go to 24, we’ve got every opportunity to make it. But we’ve got to win away from home. We have been an absolute fortress, we have not lost a home game. But we’ve got to take it on the road.”

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Originally published as How Gold Coast Suns fans are finding their voice and drowning out Pies supporters