In the AFL, 25 possessions and three goals in a game is the equivalent of Josh Giddey’s basketball trademark, a ‘triple double’. In other words, double figures on the stats sheet in points, rebounds and assists.

Giddey, the Australian superstar who has become a dynamic figure with the Chicago Bulls in the NBA, has had 31 triple doubles in 347 games, more than the great Michael Jordan’s 30 triple doubles in 1251 games.

Like Giddey, Christian Petracca was a basketball star, an Australian Under-18 representative who could have pursued a professional ‘hoops’ career.

And in his short time with the Gold Coast SUNS, the former Melbourne star has shown a rare ability to mix high‑level ball‑winning through the midfield with heavy impact on the scoreboard.

Playing his fourth game for the SUNS in Saturday’s nine‑point win over Essendon at People First Stadium, Petracca posted his second ‘TD’.

He had 25 possessions and kicked three goals to follow his blistering 34.3 showing against Geelong in his SUNS debut in Opening Round.

And it could so easily be three from four games after he had 23 possessions and four goals against West Coast in Round 1.

The 30‑year‑old has become just the sixth SUNS player among 157 players and 336 games all‑time to record 25 possessions and three goals in the same game.

Gary Ablett Jnr had 11 in 110 games from 2011–17 and Harley Bennell had five in 81 games from 2011–15. Before Petracca, three others had done so once: David Swallow in 249 games, Danny Stanley in 83 games and Noah Anderson in 134 games.

Converted to a percentage of 25‑and‑three games, Petracca is going at 50 per cent, compared to Ablett (10.9 per cent), Bennell (6.2), Stanley (1.2), Anderson (0.7) and Swallow (0.4).

Petracca, who opened his SUNS career with back‑to‑back maximum 10‑vote games in the Coaches Association Player of the Year, went into Round 6 heading the SUNS vote and ranked eighth on the leaderboard overall despite missing two games.

And he’ll find himself closer to the top after another brilliant showing on Saturday.

He also led the SUNS in clearances (six) and, with 10 score involvements, was second only to Matt Rowell’s 11.

Rowell, in his third game of the season, further brutalised the stats sheet with 35 possessions, two short of his career‑best, and five clearances.

Ben Long, with four goal assists, fell one short of the club record of five held by Bailey Humphrey, Jack Lukosius and Ben Ainsworth.

Ethan Read logged a career‑high 16 possessions to go with two goals and eight score involvements, and in a low‑tackle game Wil Powell had a career‑best nine of a team total of 51.

The SUNS’ hard‑fought win over the Bombers on Saturday continued their excellent record in day games at People First Stadium under Damien Hardwick.

They are now 11–3, having lost only to Fremantle and GWS in home day games last year, and to Melbourne in a ‘dead rubber’ in the penultimate game of 2024. Last year they also beat minor premiers Adelaide in a 12.20pm game and eventual premiers Brisbane in a 1.20pm game.

It is a topic of much debate given Saturday’s 1.15pm game against Essendon is the only guaranteed SUNS home day game in a confirmed fixture from Opening Round to Round 15.

And the fact there are only three ‘home’ games from Round 16–24 yet to be allocated a time slot in June: against Collingwood in Round 17, Western Bulldogs in Round 19 and Melbourne in Round 21.

The issue of People First Stadium time slots raises an odd football trivia question: in 145 SUNS games at People First Stadium since 2011, how many different start times have there been?

The answer will surprise most: no fewer than 47 different time slots spread across Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The club has played at 7.05pm and 7.40pm on a Friday, and at 25 different times from 12.20pm to 7.30pm on a Saturday. There have been 16 Sunday slots from 1.00pm to 6.10pm, and two each for the mid‑week days: 7.10pm and 7.20pm on Wednesday, and 7.40pm and 8.10pm on Thursday.

Most common? There have been 23 People First Stadium games starting at 4.40pm on a Saturday, with 16 at 7.25pm, 13 at 7.40pm and 11 at 2.30pm.