In 10 years, 20 years, 50 years, people will recall the Gold Coast SUNS’ round 16 win of 2014 over Collingwood at Metricon Stadium as one of the great moments in the club’s history.

You can already hear the chat among the SUNS faithful in the local public bar or the outer at the junior footy club … “Do you remember that game against Collingwood in 2014 when Gary did his shoulder against Collingwood? ‘Dicko’ did his calf and ‘The Cannon’ pulled a ‘string. And ‘Lemmo’ copped a badly gashed head and was concussed. And we still won!”

It’s a story that doesn’t need the inevitable exaggeration of time because it can hardly get any better.

Statistics cannot do justice to the 11.14 (80) to 10.15 (75) win over the ‘Pies. And while some whose Herculean efforts are adequately represented numerically, they don’t do justice to others. There wasn’t a SUNS player who didn’t play an heroic role.

How 18 Gold Coast players effectively beat 21 Collingwood players in an astonishing final quarter when an injured Gary Ablett, Charlie Dixon, Trent McKenzie and Sean Lemmens were out of the game, leaving the home side without an interchange bench, was unbelievable. That it was done without Ablett, who has single-handedly carried the young SUNS side so often, made it even more memorable.

Likewise, the fact that it was played in front of a sell-out and ground record crowd of 24,032.

Coach Guy McKenna summed it up perfectly: ''I don't think it was the best win, as far as the way we played [goes],'' he said. ''But most courageous, clearly.''

The huge injury toll had an impact right across the board. The SUNS last two interchanges were in the first 90 seconds of the final quarter, and they finished down 78-105 in interchanges for the match.

Aside from the four casualties, only Rischitelli didn’t play more game time than his 2014 average. And he was 1% down. Dion Prestia played a career-high 94% - up 14% on average. Also among the running brigade, Aaron Hall played 88% - up 10%. Jaeger O’Meara played 94% - up 9% on average. David Swallow played 83% - up 6%. Harley Bennell played 93% - up 6%. Jarrod Harbrow played 91% - up 5%. Kade Kolodjashnij played 91% - up 6%. And Jack Martin played 83% - up 10% on his previous highest game time.

David Swallow was a popular choice as best afield. Who could argue after his a team-high 31 possessions, a team-high eight clearances, 11 contested possessions, seven marks, three tackles and five ruck hit-outs? Yes, five ruck hit-outs. He did it all. And that after he’d had just 16 hit-outs in 65 previous games.

Swallow led a midfield group that was so brave against their five-star Collingwood counterparts headed Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan and Dayne Beams. Despite virtually no rest in the final term, the SUNS won the key midfield indicators of clearances (39-30) and contested possessions (134-125).

Jaeger O’Meara had 25 possessions, 10 contested possessions, three clearances and six tackles. Dion Prestia, a little quiet early but magnificent when it counted in the final stanza, finished with 19 possessions, seven contested possessions and three clearances, and kicked a critical goal midway through the last term.

Harley Bennell, swung into the midfield, finished with 26 possessions, seven contested possessions, five clearances and a goal. Jesse Lonergan, in his second game of the year, had five contested possessions in his 13 and four clearances. And Jarrod Harbrow had 26 possessions, one short of his season best. Rischitelli had 21 possessions, including nine contested possessions to become the fifth SUNS player to reach 500 contested possessions for the club. Ahead of him are Ablett (1167), Swallow (634), Prestia (579) and Stanley (538).

The backline did a wonderful job holding to 75 points a Collingwood side that was playing for its life and had averaged 96 points a game this season. Steven May and Rory Thompson combined to keep Travis Cloke in check after he had looked dangerous early.

It was an unforgettable occasion for the Gold Coast’s Collingwood cast-off Danny Stanley, who had his fourth 20-possession game against his former club in as many encounters. He finished with a season-high 26, including 10 contested possessions, and four clearances.

Interestingly, Stanley was playing against six players alongside whom he made his AFL debut for Collingwood in 2007 - Travis Cloke, Tyson Goldsack, Heritier Lumumba (then Harry O’Brien), Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan and Alan Toovey. Having played a total of five games for the Pies between 2007-09, Stanley also played in the same team as Brent Macaffer, who also played on Saturday night, Nick Maxwell, who missed the game following an injury, plus Heath Shaw, who is now with the GWS Giants, and Dale Thomas, now at Carlton.

In his 100th AFL game Greg Broughton had 22 possessions. It was his 14th 20-possession game for the SUNS and was just three short of his best for the club. He was a tower of strength early when the Magpies had the upper hand and led by 13 points at quarter-time and 11 points at halftime.

It’s an unavoidable fact, though, that in tight games big players who can take big marks and kick big goals are invaluable. Players like Charlie Dixon, Tom Lynch and Sam Day, the ‘Big Three’ of the Suns who have become such an envy of a lot of opposition clubs. Dixon was the SUNS’ most dangerous forward in the first half with two goals, three marks inside 50 and two contested marks. And after he was forced out of the game with a corked calf, Lynch and Day did the job of three to grab the really big individual statistical highlights of the night.

Day, goalless in his previous six matches, proved his unquestioned capabilities when he kicked an equal career-best four goals, including two in the final quarter when the SUNS fought so hard to hang on. He had an equal team-high eight marks, including two contested marks and three marks inside 50.

Lynch had 21 possessions to match his career-best effort in the round 7 win over North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium. Plus, he had a career-best and team-high 14 contested possessions, six marks, four marks inside 50 and two contested marks, while he also kicked two goals.

The collective statistics of the ‘Big Three’ were compelling, despite the fact that Dixon missed half the game. Eight goals, 39 possessions, 24 contested possessions, 17 marks, six contested marks and six marks inside 50. They kicked eight of the SUNS’ 11 goals - 73% and a season high - and they were similarly dominant on a percentage basis in each of their key areas of operation.

In other statistical highlights on Saturday night:

• The attendance of 24,032, capped when the club hoisted the ‘sold out’ sign about midday on Saturday, was the fourth of 20,000-plus at Metricon. It bettered the previous best of 23,302 when Collingwood visited in 2011, the 21,485 who saw the SUNS’ first game at Metricon against Geelong in 2011, and the 21,354 who turned out for the Sydney Swans game in round 14 this year. It continued an exciting recent trend in Metricon crowds, which have averaged 21,207 in the last three games against Sydney, Geelong (18,236) and Collingwood. It also confirmed Collingwood’s drawing power right around the country. In three visits to Metricon they have helped to pull on average 22,352 people. The average crowd for every other club against the SUNS at Metricon is 15,200
• For just the third time in 81 games, or 324 quarters of football, the SUNS held an opposition goalless in a quarter when the Pies could add just 0-5 in the third term. The other two scoreless quarters against the club were by Richmond in Cairns in 2011 and Melbourne at the MCG last year
• Charlie Dixon’s two goals saw him become the 5th player to reach 50 goals for the club. Gary Ablett (96) leads the way from Harley Bennell (75), Tom Lynch (66) and Brandon Matera (55)
• Tom Lynch’s two goals saw him equal Gary Ablett’s record for most goals in a season at Metricon of 17, and there are still three home-and-away matches to play
• It was the SUNS’ 23rd win overall and the eighth time they have won from behind at quarter-time and the fifth time they’ve come from behind at half-time
• David Swallow became the fifth player to reach 20 wins for the club behind Gary Ablett and Jarrod Harbrow, who have played in every win, and Trent McKenzie and Danny Stanley (22)
• It was the SUNS’ fifth win against a top-eight side. And four of them have come this year in Round 1 against Richmond, who were a nominal 7th after finishing in that position last year, in Round 6 against North (5th), Round 14 against Geelong (4th) and now Collingwood (6th). The Pies became the first club to have lost twice to the Suns while sitting in the top eight, having also done so when 7th last year
• The SUNS’ final score of 11-14 (80) was their second-lowest winning score behind their 66-point winning effort against Carlton in round 11 last year, when they won by 15 points
• The five-point winning margin was the SUNS’ third smallest. They beat Richmond by two points in Cairns in 2012, and Port Adelaide by three points when they posted their historic first win in Adelaide in 2011
• Gold Coast finished +46 in the team disposal count – 378-332. It was the SUNS’ fourth- best disposal differential. Their best day in this category was +101 against Melbourne in 2013, when they had their first win at the MCG. Also, they were +77 against North at Metricon last year and +49 against GWS Giants in Canberra in 2013
• Charlie Dixon, Kade Kolodjashnij, Sean Lemmens, Jesse Lonergan and Jack Martin played their first game against Collingwood. Only Gary Ablett, Harley Bennell, Trent McKenzie, Danny Stanley and Rory Thompson have played in all four games against the ‘Pies
• And in a possible pointer to the club’s preferred timeslot when it comes to fixture requests next year, not only has it proved a winner with the crowds but it was the SUNS’ sixth consecutive Saturday twilight win at Metricon. In that run they’ve beaten GWS and the Western Bulldogs in 2012, Collingwood in 2013, and now Brisbane, Geelong and Collingwood in 2014. That’s come after they lost their first four Saturday twilight games. In other time-slots at Metricon, they are 1-6 on Saturday afternoons, 5-12 on Saturday nights, and 2-2 on Sunday afternoons for an aggregate Metricon record of 14-24