AFL Round 16 Gold Coast v Collingwood: Collingwood defeat the Suns by 78 points

Collingwood have done it easy on the Gold Coast, dispatching the Suns by 78 points, with a blistering first half forcing commentators to question the Suns’ efforts.

The Collingwood Magpies once again proved why they are the competition’s most in-form side, with a dominating 78-point win over the Gold Coast Suns at Heritage Bank Stadium on Saturday evening.

The 120-42 win takes the Magpies’ season record to 13-2, while the Suns will slip into the middle of the pack and into the danger zone for finals, now sitting on 7-8.

It was near sold-out stadium of 22,483 fans at Carrara — over 70 per cent of which donned the black and white stripes.

Collingwood fans painted the ordinarily red and grey stands their own colours as they created a home game environment for the competition’s most in-form club.

Jamie Elliott ran rampant, kicking 5 majors despite notching just 11 touches for the match.

Young star Nick Daicos was again unable to be nullified, with Gold Coast choosing not to tag him, a decision that proved irrelevant as Collingwood’s entire 22 worked hard to overrun the Suns.

North Melbourne great David King labelled the Suns’s first half “well short of AFL standard” on Fox Sports.

“They’re waiting for the turnover then reacting – but half a second or a second late,” three-time Brisbane premiership player Alastair Lynch added.

Noah Anderson was in the middle of a first-half melee on Saturday. Picture: Chris Hyde/AFL Photos

The frustrations boiled over late in the second term when Noah Anderson and Tom Mitchell came to blows in the middle of the ground.

Anderson was furious with Mitchell but to add insult to injury, the Suns midfielder conceded a free kick in the fracas that resulted in a Mason Cox set shot.

“It’s a one-man war at the moment. He (Anderson) needs some friends to come with him,” King said.

“Where’s Rowell, where’s King? Levi (Casboult) show some leadership. Where are you?”

In his second game back from a horrific broken arm sustained in Round 1, key defender Jeremy Howe only added the best team seems to keep only getting better with him back.

The pressure from the Magpies was enormous from the get-go, with every ground ball, disposal and unforced error snapped up instantly by a body in black and white.

Gold Coast struggled to find fluidity, with the Pies’ pressure causing all sorts of fumbles and forcing 10 behinds for the night.

While the Gold Coast’s small forwards were unsighted all night, Izak Rankine — who departed the Suns for the Adelaide Crows after season 2022 — kicked a career-high five majors in the Crows 66-point win over North Melbourne.

Howe has slotted in seamlessly upon his return to the side. (Photo by Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Suns ruckman Jarrod Witts dominated hit-outs over Mason Cox, but his efforts were unravelled in the midfield where Collingwood consistently led the clearances.

In one of the few silver linings of the night, a third quarter comeback was nearly on the cards for the Suns, kicking four goals in a row, but it was a form that couldn’t be continued into the fourth and Collingwood continued to cement their top ladder position.

FANCY FOOTWORK

After kicking his first major of the evening in the six minutes, Jamie Elliott went on kick an unbelievable goal that marked the beginning of the Pies dominance on the night. Outstretching his hand on the run, the small forward saved the ball from going across the boundary line before running out of bounds around the goal post to kick a sensational goal.

A CAPTAIN’S PERFORMANCE

Collingwood captain Darcy Moore led by example in the backline, completely suppressing the Suns forwards, notably leaving tall forward Ben King goalless for the night.

MARKOV’S MOMENT

After being delisted by the Suns in 2022, Oleg Markov kicked his first goal for Collingwood and just the sixth of his eight-year career.

Former Sun Oleg Markov got in on the goalkicking fun in the second half. (Photo by Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

BIRTHDAY BLUES

It might have been former number one draft pick Matt Rowell’s 22nd birthday, but it likely won’t be one to remember, notching 10 disposals, a relatively low number for the usually prolific midfielder, albeit kicking two goals for the night.

Scores Suns: 0.2 (2) 1.4 (10) 5.7. (37) 5.12 (42)

Scores Pies: 4.4 (28) 11.6 (72) 14.10 (94) 18.12 (120)

GOAL KICKERS Suns: Ben Ainsworth 2, Hewago Oea, Matt Rowell 2

GOAL KICKERS Pies: Jamie Elliott 5, Jack Crisp, Bobby Hill 2, Billy Frampton 2, Mason Cox, Nick Daicos, Patrick Lipinski, John Noble, Oleg Markov, Darcy Cameron, Will Hoskin-Elliott,

BEST ON SUNS: Ben Ainsworth, Sam Collins, Jarrod Witts

BEST ON PIES: Darcy Moore, Jamie Elliott, Josh Daicos, Nick Daicos, John Noble, Brayden Maynard

HANNAH DAVIES’ VOTES

3: Darcy Moore

2: Josh Daicos

1: John Noble

Originally published as AFL Round 16 Gold Coast v Collingwood: Collingwood defeat the Suns by 78 points