The Gold Coast Suns have produced their biggest every win away from home, recording a comprehensive 70-point win to hand West Coast its seventh straight loss.
The win was set up by a scintillating second quarter, which saw the Suns slam on 8.5 to 1.2.
Another five goals in the final term saw Gold Coast record a dominant win, 16.17 (113) to 6.7 (43) as the Eagles suffered more injuries to Jack Darling (arm) and Jamaine Jones (broken nose).
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QUARTER BY QUARTER MATCH REPORT
It took more than seven minutes for either side to break the deadlock in Perth, before Sun Matt Rowell burst through congestion to snap truly from 25m.
Rowell, fuelled by his bizarre pre-game grass munching routine, was an early standout as he threw himself into every contest.
The midfield bull laid a heavy tackle on Connor West, before the Eagle won himself a high tackle free kick the following stoppage.
West was able to level the scores before Bailey Humphrey got on the scoreboard.
Some brilliance from Tim Kelly saw the Eagles once again draw level – but not before his score was overturned after the initial call was touched on the line.
A booed Ben King couldn’t keep his remarkable 13-goal streak alive when he sent his set shot wide.
It took a Mabior Chol snap with just 20 seconds remaining in the quarter for the Suns to edge ahead, 20-15 at the first break.
The second quarter belonged to the Suns as they surged ahead.
Aside from Oscar Allen levelling scores early, the Gold Coast won 10 straight clearances in a midfield domination, giving their forwards first use again and again.
Ben King did the damage with three goals for the term, and two for Jack Lukosius as the Eagles were simply “blown away”.
The Eagles just couldn’t win the ball forward of centre, and when they did it was simple errors that cost them.
Jake Waterman was behind two of those errors, spraying a set shot before trying to play on from outside the boundary.
By half time, the Suns had turned their five-point quarter time lead into a whopping 50-point advantage.
The Eagles came out a different side in the third term as they held the Suns goalless.
But without Jamaine Jones, who was subbed out with a broken nose, and with Jack Darling clearly fighting through the pain of a left arm injury, there was little the Eagles could do to close the margin.
Quick goals to Greg Hunt and Jack Petruccelle gave the home fans something to cheer about, but the “worst rule in footy” reared it’s head to deny Oscar Allen another West Coast goal.
Mabior Chol spent time on the sidelines before he was cleared to return to the contest.
Darling, meantime, was clearly hampered by the left arm injury he suffered in a marking contest midway through the third term.
The Eagles forward was seen carrying the arm, despite getting the injury assessed and strapped on the bench.
By three quarter time, it was still the Suns in complete control leading 76-37.
And the Suns were relentless in the final term, booting five of the six goals for the quarter to record a percentage-boosting win.
THE 3-2-1 …
3. WEST COAST’S WOES ROLL ON
The Eagles’ horror second quarter trend rolled on against the Suns on Friday night.
After a tight opening term where West Coast trailed by five points, the home side then found themselves staring down a whopping 50-point deficit at the main break.
The Eagles coughed up 8.5 to the Suns in the second quarter, while scoring just the one goal themselves. They were also smashed -11 clearances, -27 contested ball and -12 inside 50s in the quarter.
“Second quarter has been a real issue for us,” Eagles star Tim Kelly conceded.
“It just really isn’t good enough.
“It is what it is. We’ve got to come out in the second half and give our fans something to cheer about.”
It’s not the first time the Eagles have been blown out of the park in a second term this year, with Cats (9.2) and Port Adelaide (6.4) both getting hold of them in the past month.
“They’ve been taught a lesson here the Eagles,” Fox Footy’s Matthew Pavlich said.
Statistics show the Eagles have managed just 17 second quarter goals this season – including the eight that came in the win over GWS back in Round 2 — but they’ve coughed up 44.33 in the nine games in second terms.
“It was ugly, wasn’t it,” Fox Footy’s Will Schofield lamented.
“It’s not good enough.
“Sometimes it comes down to attitude.”
2. MATT’S TASTE OF TURF PAYS OFF
Matt Rowell may have made headlines this week with his bizarre pre-game grass-eating ritual, but his form is the talking point.
Against the Eagles, Rowell was the dominant force, finishing with one goal from 29 disposals, a whopping 17 tackles, 13 contested possessions, 10 score involvements, eight inside 50s, six clearances and 610m gained.
Rowell was everywhere in the opening term, even managing to hit the scoreboard with a ripping goal after bursting through the pack.
Then Fox Footy’s Matthew Pavlich said Rowell was the firestarter for the Suns’ superb second term.
“He’s been one of the real reasons the Suns got on top in that second quarter,” he praised.
“He hunts it, he is able to tackle aggressively. He’s been a star tonight.”
Brad Johnson said he was pleased to see the former number one draft pick Rowell return to his best after his career has been hampered by injury.
“Coming back from injury, he was lost there a little bit,” Johnson said. “He’s found his way again.
“He’s a star of the competition.
“You look at the collective across his game, all facets were excellent. We think of Matty Rowell as that inside bull – and that’s where he doe s a lot of his good work – but he does some quality work on the outside as well and puts the opposition under a little bit of pressure.”
1. THE ‘WORST RULE IN FOOTY’ REARS ITS HEAD
West Coast were able to string some goals together in the third term in promising signs for the home fans at Optus Stadium.
But they were denied a third goal when umpires stopped play and brought the footy back in a moment Fox Footy commentators lamented.
When Liam Duggan was pushed in the back by Matt Rowell, instead of the downfield free kick being paid – where Oscar Allen booted the goal – the footy was brought back to half-forward.
In that time, the Suns were able to flood all their players back.
“It’s the worst rule in footy unfortunately,” commentator Brad Johnson said.
“You can push someone on the kick, the ball’s going your way, it should be down the ground to where the ball lands at least.
“It’s such a disadvantage in the end. The opposition get to set up the way they like defensively.”
Matthew Pavlich added: “The fact that it’s all the way back when the balls already in motion, it’s a disadvantage.
“It should always be the advantage to the team who wins the free kick.”
The Eagles weren’t able to find a goal from the play, instead settling for a rushed behind.
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