By Dominic Fay
Gold Coast SUNS 5.2 10.9 10.13 12.16.88
Mt Gravatt 1.2 3.3 7.6 11.9.75
Gold Coast SUNS
Goal Kickers: S. Day 3, L. Moss 2, R. Salter 2, N. Ablett 2, J. Stanlake , M. Lock , J. Gillbee
Best Players: J. Gillbee, M. Lock, N. Krakouer, J. Crawford, M. Weller, T. Lynch
Mt Gravatt
Goal Kickers: A. Proud 3, R. Lake 2, J. James 2, J. Furfaro , D. Russo , D. Mowat , N. Gilliland
Best Players: A. Proud, J. Vearing, A. Scott, R. Cash, A. Evans, R. Lake
Mt Gravatt’s unbeaten start to the year came to an end this afternoon, as a brilliant first half from the Gold Coast SUNS Reserves created a deficit too large for the Vultures to overcome.
Leading by 48 points at half time, the GC SUNS looked too fast for a sluggish Mt Gravatt, who made uncharacteristic errors in their return from the week off.
The match finished with the GC SUNS triumphing by 13 points in a muddy encounter, with the scoreboard reading 12.16 (88) to 11.9 (75).
Two goals to No.3 draft pick Sam Day put the GC SUNS in the lead from the start, with defender Tom Lynch ensuring the ball spent most of its time outside the Vultures forward line.
Jake Crawford, Lewis Moss and Nathan Ablett also chipped in with first quarter goals, three coming in time-on to help the GC SUNS go to a 24-point lead at quarter-time.
The Vultures booted the first two goals of the second term and were within striking distance for some time.
But the Coast again kicked a flurry of goals late in the quarter to go to long break in total command. The margin could have been bigger but for some wasteful Gold Coast SUNS kicking, missing seven shots at goal for the term.
Mt Gravatt came out a different side after the break, however, with de-listed Lion Albert Proud continuing his impressive return to his former club. Along with vice captains Josh Vearing and Nathan Gilliland, he led the Vultures to a quarter in which the GC SUNS attack was shut down and they failed to register a major score.
With the deficit reduced to 25 points at the start of the final quarter, the Vultures began to look more like the table-topping side that the local crowd were expecting, and despite the first goal for the quarter going to the Suns’ Jack Stanlake, an inspired Mt Gravatt were able to snare the next four to reduce the margin to seven points.
However, it proved not enough, with the GC SUNS stealing one back that put them 13 points ahead when the final siren sounded.
Crawford, Maverick Weller, Jacob Gilbee and Joel Tippett joined Lynch as the stand-outs for the Gold Coast SUNS, whose superb first half got them home eventually.
GC SUNS coach Shaun Hart echoed those thoughts after the game.
“It was outstanding, the first half, that’s better than they’ve played by a fair mile I reckon, so I was really pleased at half time,” Hart said. “You always know that the opposition’s going to come out with something in the second half, and credit to Mt Gravatt, they had a real crack at us and we looked a bit fatigued, but we just ended up hanging on and I think probably deserved to because the guys had worked pretty hard for four quarters.”
Hart praised the effort by his side, feeling that they showed signs of what’s to come.
“They all did a great job, particularly in the first half there was probably 22 good players I reckon.
“I think that’s a great example of how well we can play footy on a dry track potentially, and so I’m quite excited by that. There’s a fair bit of improvement still to come, but once we get four quarters of what we saw in the first half today it’ll be very exciting.”
Mt Gravatt utility Chris Smith was Mt Gravatt’s best four-quarter performer and lamented the Vultures’ slow start to the game.
“I think we played the game in two halves, the first half we obviously started off pretty slow,” he said. “We scored 10 goals after the first quarter and they scored seven so take that first quarter away and we win the game, so the way we started is a little bit disappointing.”
He brushed off suggestions that last week’s bye was responsible for the slow start to today’s match.
“You can look at it two different ways. You can look at it as it gives us fresh legs or you can look at it that it takes away our momentum, but at the end of the day you come to play a game of football and it’s up to you to get yourself up to the job.”
The Vultures come up against 2010 grand finalists Labrador next weekend, while the GC SUNS play the Lions Reserves in the first encounter of the two AFL affiliates.
