Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew receives brutal reminder of the huge task he faces at the Suns

GOLD Coast were so bad on Saturday, they will be happy to get to Shanghai where nobody will recognise them. While Melbourne is now in the eight and back in business.

Steven May could be in trouble for touching an umpire. Picture: AAP Images

GOLD Coast had the type of all-round stinker on Saturday, they will be happy to get to Shanghai where nobody will recognise them.

Coach Stuart Dew received a brutal reminder of the mountainous task he faces as the Suns set unwanted records and made inexcusable mistakes on their way to a 69 point smacking by the Demons at the Gabba.

It was a good day for Melbourne. They have now won three in a row and their five 5-3 record is their best start to a season since 2006.

GAME RECAP: HOW THE DEES SMASHED THE SUNS

But it is unsure just what else but extra confidence they can take from the 21.21 (146) to 11.11 (77) victory.

It was such one-way traffic Gold Coast now share the record of conceding inside fifty entries with fellow expansion club GWS who let the Kangaroos in 83 times in 2012.

When veteran Jordan Lewis elected to kick backwards and milk the clock with 45 seconds to go he spared the Suns from owning the record outright.

Melbourne players celebrate one of their many goals against the Suns. Picture: Getty Images

It was also the lowest crowd ever at the Gabba and even though Gold Coasters generally don’t like making the trek up the M1, surely that figure is unacceptable given the club has played in South East Queensland just once in the first eight weeks.

And the red and blue scarves seemed to outnumber the red and gold among the 6060 fans.

The previous low was 6480 between the Brisbane Bears and Melbourne in 1991.

When Gold Coast kicked three goals in a row in the third quarter, cutting the margin from 36 points to 18, spectators started to muse about an unlikely fightback.

But the truth was, had the Suns won this game Dew and his players would have been advised to skip the showers and hit the highway before the cops got them for theft.

Melbourne dominated every aspect of the game and it was only poor conversion that kept the Suns remotely in the contest.

It was a nightmare day for the Suns on every level.

It was so bad the discussion in the press box during the final quarter fell to where it ranked in a long list of shocking days in the club’s turbulent eight year history.

David Swallow spent the final quarter covered in ice on the bench.

Mitch Hannan takes a hanger for the Demons. Picture: Getty Images

Captain Steven May had a mad minute when he gave away a free kick for wrestling in the goal square, 50m off the ball, and then bumped the umpire while trying to argue his case.

It was the barest of grazes but this week, of all weeks, after Cat Tom Hawkins was rubbed out for contact with an umpire, every player in the comp should be keeping an arm’s length distance from the whistle blowers.

Maybe there was a sign of what was to come in the NEAFL when the Suns failed to kick a goal in a 12.24 (96) to 0.4 (4) smashing by the Lions.

The Lions had more senior listed players but the Suns still had 11, including five former first round picks including Peter Wright and Kade Kolodjashnij.

MELBOURNE 4.5 8.11 13.17 21.20 (146)

GOLD COAST 3.5 5.7 9.9 11.11 (77)

ANDREW HAMILTON’S BEST

DEMONS: T.McDonald, Harmes, Oliver, Gawn, Salem, Brayshaw.

SUNS: Martin, Miller, May.

GOALS

DEMONS: T.McDonald 5, Hannan 3, Hogan 3, Neal-Bullen 2, Spargo 2, Salem 2, Hibberd, Melksham, Gawn, Brayshaw.

SUNS: Martin 4, Day 2, Holman, May, Hall, Sexton, Young.

REPORTS

Nil

INJURIES

SUNS: Swallow (knee)

UMPIRES

Brown, Schmitt, Harris

CROWD

6060 at Gabba.

VOTES

3 T McDonald, 2 Harmes, 1 Oliver

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