AFLW: Gold Coast Suns end 672-day dry spell

The Gold Coast Suns went through 2021 winless but Cameron Joyce’s side has broken the drought just two games into the AFLW season.

The Suns are on the board. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Finally, after 672 days, Gold Coast is back on the winners list.

The Suns battled back from a 16-point deficit, kicking the final five goals of the game to wrestle back the ascendancy after the West Coast Eagles shot ahead early in the final quarter with the opening three goals and were seemingly on their way to their first win of the season.

However, Tara Bohanna and Kate Surman combined to kick three and two goals respectively in the last quarter as the Suns ran over the Eagles in a tremendous 11-minute rampage and as a result, gave Cameron Joyce his first win as coach.

Stream every match of the 2022 NAB AFLW Season Live & On-Demand on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now.

“I’m stoked. The reality is nearly every team in the comp really doubted us,” Surman told Fox Footy.

“We were picked wooden spooners by everyone so I think it’s really good to show everyone that we are not the bottom of the ladder, we can compete and we are having a crack.

“Everyone thought we were down in that last quarter but here we are so every other team don’t doubt us. We are coming.”

New year, new Suns. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Gold Coast’s pressure at the coalface (73-57 tackles) shone through for much of the contest, which translated into them controlling much of the game between the arcs.

While the Suns’ inside 50 numbers had doubled from last-week (32 this week, compared to 16), they were unable to make it count on the scoreboard as the Eagles defenders stood up brilliantly.

Playing the first of five straight games in Victoria, West Coast’s work in transition proved to be its greatest weapon, making the Suns pay for their lack of conviction in-front of goal for much of the game before gaining a foothold in the early stages of the final term.

However, it was the never-say-die attitude of the Suns that helped swing the pendulum back into their favour late – finally making the Eagles pay on the scoreboard through the one-two punch of Bohanna and Surman.

Surman was a standout on Sunday. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Future stars collide

For the first of many times to come, Mikayla Bowen and Charlie Rowbottom went head-to-head in a battle of AFLW future stars.

Bowen, the reigning West Coast best and fairest was again among the Eagles’ best accumulating 12 disposals to go with a whopping eight tackles and a goal but despite her best efforts was outdone by Rowbottom.

In only her second game, the number one pick led the way for the Suns collecting 17 touches to go with a game-high 12 tackles.

EAGLES 0.0, 2.0, 2.2, 5.3 (33)

SUNS 0.2, 1.4, 2.4, 7.4 (46)

GOALS

Eagles: McCarthy, Atkins, Bowen, Gibson, Collier

Suns: Bohanna 3, Surman 2, Dupuy, Perkins

D’URBANO’S BEST

Eagles: Hooker, Swanson, McCarthy, Bowen, Smith

Suns: Bohanna, Surman, Rowbottom, Hampson, Keaney, Drennan, Groves-Little

D’URBANO’S VOTES

3 – Tara Bohanna (GC)

2 – Kate Surman (GC)

1 – Charlie Rowbottom (GC)

VENUE: VU Whitten Oval

Originally published as AFLW: Gold Coast Suns end 672-day dry spell