What a difference 12 months can make.
This time last year, the Gold Coast Suns had people looking down their noses at them. Unable to win away from People First Stadium or their Darwin Fortress, the Suns were viewed as pretenders, and really, unworthy of playing finals.
List them second on any game in the fixture, and people automatically pencilled them in for a loss. And if you cannot win away from home, you’re cooked.
I have to admit, I subscribed. Until you can win on the road consistently, you’re not going to go far in finals, and in the case of the Suns, you’re not even going to make September footy.
Well, well, well… look at what’s happened in 2025.
Not including their Darwin stand, the Suns have now won five games away from their home base, and you know what that spells?
Two things.
Maturity.
And the big one.
Trouble.
Despite several spirited challenges from the Bombers, the Suns stood up in the last quarter to blow the game out to a 41-point margin. Impressively, they did this without their most important defensive pillar, as Sam Collins was ruled out earlier in the week.
Bomber fans will roll their eyes at the above statement, given the extent of the injuries impacting their team, I know, but I’ve watched a lot of Collins, and he is the central figure in the Gold Coast back six. He is as important to this side as any player is to their own side in the competition.
The race for the top eight is so tight. As it stands, one of the nine teams in contention is going to feel very unlucky to miss out, but the more Gold Coast can string these wins together on the road, the tougher they’re going to be to unseat. With a game in-hand, they may yet even contend for the top four.
With Collingwood on the horizon, this win was vital, and when the coach demanded his players rise to the occasion in the final quarter, he received the precise respionse he was hoping for. Gold Coast went out and executed perfectly.
Make no mistake – we are seeing the genesis of a finals team. The maturity of these players, and this club, is now on display for all to see. And the next steps could be thrilling.
Time to jump into The Mongrel’s Big Questions from this one.
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