The Gold Coast SUNS have lost its first game of the 2026 Smithy’s VFL season against Werribee 9.19 (73) to 8.10 (58) in what was a tense Round 1 hitout at People First Stadium on Sunday.

Nick Holman (36 disposals, six i50s, 14 contested possessions, five score involvements) was a key man for the SUNS as the leading disposal getter, with half-back Dylan Patterson (29 touches) and Ben Jepson (27) also earning plenty of ball in the SUNS midfield.

A high-pressure first quarter saw the SUNS and Werribee fighting to gain the upper hand, with both sides securing chances in front of the goals however, struggling to convert their hard work into points.

It was StreetSmarts SUNS Academy product Lachie Gulbin who first lit up the scoreboard with an early goal in quarter one and continued to work hard for the remainder of the match, finishing with two goals, 22 disposals and 10 contested possessions.

Fellow academy product Jed Walter followed suit later in the term, securing a neat goal by keeping the ball alive and proving his ability to work one-on-one against opposition.

The tight contest continued throughout the second quarter with both teams kicking three goals apiece, including a slick handball chain, which ended with captain Alex Sexton for his first goal as SUNS VFL captain, and a long-range goal from Asher Eastham.

However, it was Werribee who pulled ahead by four points at the sound of the half-time siren.

The third quarter was a low-scoring one, with just one goal bagged in the first few minutes by 2025 Draftee Koby Coulson, before Weribbe replied with two of their own.

The SUNS threatened to claw its way back into the game in the last quarter, but an often-wasteful Werribee managed to stem the tide to run out 15-point winners in the two sides’ first 2026 Smithy’s VFL match.

Gold Coast

Goals: Gulbin 2, Walter, Sexton, Evans, Eastham, Coulson, Collins 

Werribee

Goals: Elliott 3, Tullio 2, Smith, Raso, Pinnuck, Donegan