Coast with the most: Suns turn tables on premiers Brisbane in crucial Q-Clash romp

The Age

26-07-2025

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4.52pm
Suns turn tables on premiers in crucial Queensland romp
Gold Coast have shrugged Brisbane's Q-Clash chokehold and cemented their top-eight standing with a historic 66-point 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 over their local rivals, 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.
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.
AAP
3.53pm
Crows want to power on
By Jon Pierik
The Crows have won four straight, and have vowed to maintain the rage in Showdown 58.
There will be plenty of emotion for the Power, for this is Ken Hinkley's last Showdown, and the Power, out of the finals race, will be keen to impact the premiership aspirations of their cross-town rivals.
But Crows coach Matthew Nicks insists his men will be ready for what awaits.
'We don't [change our mindset], we'll approach this game like we have every game this year, a strength of ours this year has been staying focused on the now and the moment – this is just a bigger moment,' Nicks said.
'We'll acknowledge the moment, we'll enjoy the big stage and the different challenges that will present us – you have to embrace those big moments, and it doesn't get any bigger in Adelaide than a Showdown.
'But that doesn't change how we prepare, and we will back in our process to get the job done.'
Nicks was once an assistant to Hinkley at the Power.
'I remember all of those Showdown memories [alongside Ken], I was in the box in 2018 when Stevie Motlop kicked that winner, back in 2013 [the Monfries bounce] I think I was the runner,' Nicks said.
'So, it will be [hard to imagine Showdowns without Ken], we had a little chat on the way in, and it's an unusual feeling knowing that my opposition coach won't be there next year.
'Ken's had a lot of success across the journey, and I've learnt a hell of a lot from him in my time as a coach, so it's always exciting to put myself to the test in these Showdowns.
'For me, going up against a person I've always had so much respect for, it's a challenge I've really enjoyed. I learned so much from Ken in the period of time I worked underneath him, and it will be sad to see him go.'