You cannot give a good team a head start in the AFL.
Hell, you can barely even give an average team a start like the Demons gave the Suns in Round 16, but as the first quarter came to a close, the game seemed as though it was going to be a rout. Gold Coast attacked the contest like men possessed, and the Dees, in stark contrast, looked like a team that had not yet recommenced action after their Round 15 bye.
It really did feel like a massacre was brewing, as Gold Coast outworked the Demons at every stoppage, as well as on the spread. They piled on five goals to nothing in the first stanza, but it could have been much worse.
The Suns squandered several opportunities, and that left the door open for Melbourne to bridge the gap.
At quarter time, Demon captain, Max Gawn, delivered an impassioned plea to his beleaguered team, and the Dees responded.
Suddenly, it appeared as though Gold Coast’s wayward kicking for goal would come back to haunt them, and as Melbourne closed to within three kicks in the third quarter, and again in the last.
Thoughts of the Suns’ history of late season capitulations started to flitter through my mind. Were we going to see something akin to that again?
However, this Gold Coast team didn’t roll over and capitulate to the Dees. Despite heroics from Kysaiah Pickett and Jake Melksham, the Suns were able to steady, with Ben King clunking a mark inside 50 and kicking truly to seal it.
Plenty to get through in this one, so let’s jump into HB’s Loves and Hates.
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