By Murray Wenzel
Gold Coast have shrugged Brisbane’s QClash chokehold and cemented their top-eight standing with a historic 66-point AFL win.
The Suns had lost 12 of the past 13 Queensland derbies to the defending premiers.
But on Saturday, with a maiden finals berth on the radar, the hosts called the shots in a 20.10 (130) to 9.10 (64) romp at a wet People First Stadium.
Victory, in front of 20,833 fans, was the Suns’ biggest in a QClash, while their 12th win this season is a club-high.
Captain Noah Anderson (33 touches) did the early damage, while ruckman Jarrod Witts dominated, and coach Damien Hardwick’s bold selection calls were vindicated.
Victory pushed the Suns (12-6), who have a game in hand, to seventh in a congested top eight, while the Lions (13-5-1) missed a chance to at least briefly occupy top spot.
Matt Rowell (37 touches, 14 clearances, 12 tackles) won the Marcus Ashcroft Medal, and the recalled Alex Davies (30 touches, 10 tackles) flipped the script on the usually dominant Lions midfield.
Jarrod Witts of the Suns in action during the round 20 AFL derby against the Lions.Credit: Getty Images
Jy Farrar (three goals) enjoyed his first AFL game since late 2023, Ben Long rediscovered his early-season form with four majors, and Bailey Humphrey (three goals, eight tackles) also shone.
The Lions’ Ashcroft brothers Will and Levi were well held, while Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley and Hugh McCluggage suffered a rare engine-room loss.
Victory gave the Suns a 2-1 record against the competition’s top three sides in their past three games, Gold Coast now with just one top-eight opponent in their final five regular-season games.
Meanwhile, the premiers next travel to the MCG to face table-topping Collingwood as part of a tough run to September.
Bailey Humphrey of the Suns celebrates kicking a goal.Credit: Getty Images
Brisbane started well with goals to Callum Ah Chee and Neale, before the Suns, fresh off an Adelaide battering a week earlier, responded.
Witts set the tone at the bounce, while Davies threw his 193cm frame around and fit-again Sam Collins imposed himself in defence.
The contest was drifting in the second quarter until skipper Anderson again took it by the scruff with a goal and assist inside a minute.
His first drifted over the pack and was toed on the line by Farrar, before he produced a repeat of his Collingwood match-winner a fortnight earlier, streaking from the centre square and nailing a major from 50 metres after a neat one-two.
The Suns’ fine kicking continued when Long threaded the needle, creating a 33-point half-time buffer as heavy rain started to fall.
It didn’t slow Farrar, who benefited from another clever Witts tap to squeeze through his third goal.
Rowell was running freely in a dominant third term, with Ben Ainsworth and Long’s goals swelling the lead beyond 50 points to effectively kill the contest.
Neale still amassed 36 touches, while Cam Rayner kicked three late goals to go with 19 disposals for Brisbane.
Lions utility Conor McKenna (hamstring) was substituted at halftime.
AAP