Gold Coast have turned the tables on their long-time bullies, a tenacious Touk Miller inspiring the Suns’ first win over the Brisbane Lions in five years to dent their AFL neighbour’s top-two plans.
The Suns kept their own finals hopes alive – they need to win their remaining four games to make the top eight – and interrupted the Lions’ hopes of jumping Port Adelaide into second place with a 15.6 (96) to 7.13 (55) pummelling in Carrara on Saturday.
Marcus Ashcroft Medal winner Miller (29 disposals) went old-school with a hard tag to run Lachie Neale (17 touches) into the ground, while under-fire forward Ben King was back to his best with an equal career-best five goals.
Brisbane trailed by three at halftime, 17 at the final break and scored just seven points in the fourth term as the Suns out-tackled and out-ran the premiership hopefuls.
It broke a nine-game Lions QClash winning streak and cost Chris Fagan’s men the chance of finishing the round in all-important second place.
“You can’t allow teams to push and shove you around and get the wood on you,” interim coach Steven King said.
“Our playing group had had enough of honourable losses and coming up short.
“It’s bigger than just four points; it builds belief. When we’re connected for four quarters that’s the result.”
Sam Flanders (32 disposals) had another big night and Noah Anderson (29 touches, one goal) was a chief destroyer for the interim coach, who leant on his horror author namesake to script a nightmare for his opposite number.
Miller demanded the job on Neale and blanketed the Lions’ Brownlow Medallist in the first quarter, restricting him to just two disposals.
Delivery was of the finest order to King, who broke a month-long goal drought and had three at the main break and take influential Lions defender Harris Andrews out of the game.
Josh Dunkley had 30 touches and 10 tackles but Brisbane had no answer in the final quarter, Matt Rowell winning a forward clearance, shrugging a tackle and snapping a terrific goal.
In a further blow, in-form Lions defender Keidean Coleman was taken to hospital after an accidental knock to his eye.
Fagan said he’d need to review the game before commenting on how the side could have better handled Neale’s close attention.
“The one thing going well was contested ball and clearance, but we got beaten up in that area in the second half,” Fagan said.
“We’ve been so good for the last six weeks in that department. But we were beaten up by a team that was super hungry to get the job done.
“It had built up and you could tell by their reaction … how much it meant to them.”
Victory kept the Suns’ mathematical hopes of a maiden finals appearance alive a month after sacking head coach Stuart Dew.
To feature for the first time they’ll need to beat Adelaide, Sydney, Carlton and North Melbourne to finish the regular season.
© AAP 2023
