AFL 2023: All the news from Gold Coast Suns vs GWS Giants
GWS has surged into the eight on the back of a six-game winning streak as Gold Coast had no answer to brilliant Giants skipper Toby Greene.
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It wasn’t the prettiest performance of the GWS Giants’ six-match winning run but a 40-point victory over Gold Coast has elevated them into the top eight and continued their surge to September in Adam Kingsley’s first season.
The winning streak is the Giants’ best since 2016, coincidentally the season when it all clicked in their formative years, just like it is now under their new coach who has turned them into one of the hottest sides in the AFL.
The Suns challenged GWS early and showed some promising signs in Steven King’s second game as interim coach, but the floodgates opened after halftime as the Giants poured on eight goals in a row to end a nine-game losing streak at their home away from home in Canberra.
If not for key defender Sam Collins, who was excellent down back with 14 intercept possessions, the game may have drifted away from Gold Coast far earlier.
His superstar skipper and forward Toby Greene may have grabbed the headlines again but GWS coach Adam Kingsley has hailed his backline as the key reason for extending their six-game winning run.
Sam Taylor is back to the form that secured him an All-Australian blazer last year and has freed up the excellent Jack Buckley to take the second-best key forward.
Connor Idun is in career best form, Harry Himmelberg is proving his best football is played down back while the Lachie’s – Ash and Whitfield – along with Isaac Cumming continue to showcase their superb running and kicking talents.
The Giants haven’t conceded more than 75 points in seven of their wins in their last eight games.
“Our backline has been great in contest and they’re keeping us in every game and then all that remains is our offence to go and kick a winning score it’s as simple as that,” Kingsley said.
“They’re all quite young, mid-twenties growing together, so I think it’s a backline we’ll see playing together for a long time.”
While the win moves the Giants into the finals spot and maintains their status as one of the buzz teams in the AFL right now, Kingsley is trying to ensure they don’t get ahead of themselves.
“I think we’re capable but there’s still games to go and we’ve got to beat teams around us and above us on the table. Clearly, we’re thereabouts but we’ve still got plenty of work to do and we’re not getting ahead of ourselves.
“We’re in the finals right now but that can change very quickly and we’re mindful of that, we’ve got to remain really hungry for each contest and we need to play at our best to beat these teams.”
Skipper Greene was kept on the bench for the final eight minutes of the last quarter but that was purely to give his sore body a rest.
Stephen Coniglio’s excellent season continued with 29 disposals and 12 score involvements, Sam Taylor dominated down back yet again while Lachie Whitfield’s clean handling and dynamic run off half-back helped break the game open when the Suns were showing some resolve.
At quarter-time it looked like a Suns’ second straight win might be a chance with Hewago Oea kicking a beautiful crumbing goal at pace before one of Jack Lukosius’s three goals gave them a seven-point quarter time lead.
The Giants would chip away through the second quarter though with Brent Daniels providing plenty of spark, and then flex their muscle in the third. When Ryan Angwin kicked the first goal of his 13-game career the Suns’ spirit was broken.
It would spark a nine goal to three second half for a much-needed Canberra win for GWS in Harry Perryman’s 100th for the club.
BEN’S BARREN RUN
Ben King is the Suns’ spearhead but he’s battling big time at the minute. Sam Taylor is the likely All-Australian full-back, so the match-up was tough for King, but he would go goalless for a fourth straight game and was kept to just four possessions by the typically brilliant Taylor.
INTERCEPT CITY
As the game struggled for fluidity there were a lot of long kicks into attack by both teams, particularly early, and that allowed the key defenders to shine. Taylor was dominant for GWS again, as was Harry Himmelberg, while Sam Collins held firm for the Suns. If not for the big-bodied Suns defender the margin was have been a lot worse. He finished with 10 intercept marks for the game.
NO TAMING TOBY
It’s the most unenviable of match-ups and while Ben Long has the size and athleticism to go with Toby Greene, his lack of defensive experience made him an odd opponent to start the game. The Giants skipper had six score involvements by halftime and that prompted a change with Will Powell moved onto him.
He kept Greene quiet early in the third term, but when the superstar slammed through his third goal to make the margin 26 points, the game seemed over.
SCOREBOARD
GWS GIANTS 3.2, 6.7, 12.8, 15.13 (103)
GOLD COAST 4.3, 6.5, 7.7, 9.9 (63)
BEST
GWS: Greene, Taylor, Coniglio, Whitfield, Daniels, Himmelberg, Kelly, Cumming
Gold Coast: Collins, Flanders, Lukosius, Atkins, Powell
GOALS
GWS: Greene 3, Riccardi 2, Daniels 2, Brown 2, Lloyd, Kelly, Cumming, Coniglio, Bedford, Angwin
Gold Coast: Lukosius 3, Hollands 2, Ainsworth 2, Oea, Casboult
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Daniel Garb’s votes:
3. Toby Greene (GWS)
2. Sam Taylor (GWS)
1. Sam Collins (GC)
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