Melbourne has pushed its way into the top eight with a dramatic 35-point comeback win over Gold Coast in Alice Springs on Saturday.
Trailing by 24 points at half-time, the Demons stormed home to win 18.14 (122) to 13.9 (87) during Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round.
The Demons led on statistics for most of the game, but could not convert this to scoring - until the third quarter when they snatched the lead kicking five goals and two behinds.
The flurry of points came through a shift in tactics and leadership from their veterans.
Jordan Lewis stepped up when he was most needed, the former Hawk recording 26 disposals and six marks.
The win is the Demons' first in Alice Springs and puts them provisionally eighth on the ladder, while the SUNS sit 16th after three wins and six losses this season.
Gold Coast tore away in the second quarter with its hard-running play, as Aaron Hall and Brandon Matera led the charge.
But this couldn't be sustained and Hall finished with 29 disposals and one goal and Matera 20 disposals and three goals.
MELBOURNE 2.1 4.8 9.10 18.14 (122)
GOLD COAST 4.5 7.7 9.8 13.9 (87)
GOALS
Melbourne: Garlett 5, Jones 3, Harmes 3, Hannan 3, Tyson, Petracca, Neal-Bullen, Watts
Gold Coast: Matera 3, Lynch 2, Wright 2, Barlow 2, Sexton, Lemmens, Kolodjashnij, Hall
BEST
Melbourne: Oliver, Jones, Hibberd, Lewis, Garlett, Melksham
Gold Coast: Hall, Swallow, Kolodjashnij, Leslie, Matera
INJURIES
Melbourne: Nil
Gold Coast: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Williamson, Jeffery, Glouftsis
Official crowd: 5,072 at TIO Traeger Park
