Match

Gold Coast Suns vs GWS Giants

Commentary / 24 Aug 2019

Pre Game

00:00
Gold Coast is aiming to equal its 2018 output of four wins for the season tonight. The Suns have only won three matches in a season twice before in their short history - their first two seasons in the AFL (2011, 2012).

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
02:20
Starting strongly is crucial for Gold Coast's chances in tonight's match. Since 2015, the Suns have won just eight percent of its matches when trailing at quarter-time - ranked last. Conversely, the Giants have won 83% of its matches when leading at quarter-time in the same time frame - ranked No. 1.
04:44
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Alex Sexton)
05:50
The first goal of the game goes to the Giants, following some brilliant hard running by Jeremy Cameron. The Giants have started physically, laying seven of the first eight tackles.
10:20
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Darcy MacPherson)
10:36
It has been a wasteful start by Gold Coast, who are kicking at a poor 32% efficiency. In comparison, the Giants have recorded a kicking efficiency to start this match of 83%.
12:49
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Daniel Lloyd)
14:51
Gold Coast is on top of the match at stoppages and in the contest, leading clearances by one and winning 12 more contested possessions than the Giants. The Suns lead hardball gets nine to one.
16:45
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jeremy Cameron)
18:01
The outside run and spread of Lachie Whitfield and Josh Kelly is causing headaches for the Gold Coast midfielders. Whitfield has won 10 disposals (seven uncontested) and 121 metres gained whilst Kelly has won eight disposals (six uncontested) and 163 metres gained. The highest disposal winner for the Suns is Darcy MacPherson with five.
19:41
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Tim Taranto)
24:44
The Giants have won 22 more uncontested possessions than Gold Coast in this opening term. The Suns have lost the uncontested possession count by 40 per game this season – ranked 18th.
26:42
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Sam Day)
28:18
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Lachie Whitfield)
30:19
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Rushed)
31:49
Despite the Suns recording just one scoring shot less than the Giants in the opening term, the Giants boast a 26 points lead at the first break. This poor accuracy in front of goal by the Suns contradicts recent form, with the Suns recording the second-best shot at goal accuracy over the last four weeks.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:51
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Rushed)
03:29
Lachie Weller laid an impressive seven tackles in the first term. This is the most tackles Weller has ever laid in a single quarter (previous best was four tackles) and just one tackle off the most in a quarter by any player this season.
04:05
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Jack Bowes)
05:45
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Alex Sexton)
06:13
The Suns are well on top in the territory battle in the second quarter, recording the first six inside 50s of the term. This territory dominance is a result of some strong stoppage work, where they have won five of the first six clearances.
07:34
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Daniel Lloyd)
10:21
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Jack Lukosius)
10:35
The Suns have locked the ball away in their forward half this quarter on the back of their intercepts. They have won seven forward half intercepts in the opening 10 minutes of the quarter, after winning just the two in the entire first quarter. This has resulted in 78% of the play being held in their forward half this term.
11:56
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Darcy MacPherson)
13:08
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Alex Sexton)
13:31
The Suns finally get a reward for their effort with a clever goal to Alex Sexton registering Gold Coast's second goal of the match. The Suns have dominated everywhere but the scoreboard where they have had four more scoring shots but still trail by 16 points.
17:48
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jeremy Cameron)
19:16
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Daniel Lloyd)
19:51
Greater Western Sydney's conversion continues to be the difference in this match, with the Giants scoring a goal from 33% of their forward 50 entries compared to nine percent for the Suns. The Giants average a goal from 24% of their inside 50s in 2019 - ranked third.
22:56
The Giants have generated an inside 50 from 43% of their kick-ins tonight, and have managed a goal from this source too. In the past month, the Giants have averaged an inside 50 from less than 15% of their kick-ins - ranked 13th.
25:28
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Alex Sexton)
25:42
Pearce Hanley has played a pivotal role for the Suns this quarter. He has won the most disposals for the quarter with nine, but has also sent the ball inside 50 five times and has accumulated 303 metres gained in this term. This comes after winning he recorded his most ever disposals as a Sun last week.
26:03
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Rushed)
27:23
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Alex Sexton)
30:04
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jeremy Cameron)
31:41
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Josh Kelly)
32:52
The Suns went inside 50 22 times in the second quarter - their most inside 50s in a single quarter this year. They also won their equal second-most clearances in a quarter with 16 but wasted this dominance with an inaccurate 3.6 (24) on the scoreboard.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
02:28
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Aaron Young)
03:02
Gold Coast has scored the important first goal of the second-half through the 100th gamer Aaron Young. Coming into tonight, Gold Coast had scored 44 goals in third quarters this season and conceded 82 goals - the worst differential of all sides in 2019.
04:16
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Ben King)
06:49
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jeremy Finlayson)
07:12
Jeremy Finlayson has booted his goal of the match to take his season tally to a career-high 37 goals. His input tonight becomes more important to the Giants following fellow key forward Harry Himmelberg leaving the ground through injury.
08:24
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Ian Hill)
10:28
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jeremy Cameron)
11:27
Tim Taranto has applied 18 pressure acts so far tonight - the most of all players. Taranto has forced the opposition to commit 91 turnovers as a result of his pressure acts this season – ranked third in the AFL.
11:45
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jeremy Cameron)
12:35
Jeremy Cameron has booted two goals in as many minutes to take his total to four goals for the night. He now sits just two goals behind Coleman Medal leader Ben Brown, and is being targeted heavily by the Giants with 10 targets inside 50 tonight so far.
13:38
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jeremy Cameron)
13:53
That is five goals now for Jeremy Cameron who draws just one goal behind the Coleman Medal lead. He has had eight shots at goal so far tonight for five goals, and has taken four marks inside 50 - the most of any player tonight.
15:42
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jeremy Cameron)
17:37
The Giants have put their foot down this quarter, and have now recorded the last nine inside 50s. In the last 10 minutes, the Giants have won 10 more contested possessions, five more groundballs whilst also laying five more tackles than Gold Coast.
19:38
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Josh Kelly)
21:59
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Tim Taranto)
23:57
The Giants have booted five goals tonight from forward half stoppages. This has been a big improvement from their recent form, with the Giants averaging 11 points in their last four matches from stoppages in the forward half.
25:17
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jeremy Cameron)
25:44
Jeremy Cameron's sixth goal comes from a perfect kick inside 50 by Harry Himmelberg who has returned to the ground following an injury-scare. Harry Himmelberg has recorded a total of 26 goal assists this season - the most of any player in the competition.
28:49
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Alex Sexton)
30:06
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Lachie Weller)
33:39
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jeremy Cameron)
33:42
The Giants kicked away in the third quarter on the back of their spearhead Jeremy Cameron. Cameron booted five goals in the third quarter (including one after the siren) to take an outright lead in the Coleman Medal. This is the first time this season that a player has kicked five goals in a single quarter, and the first time ever that a Giant player has scored five goals in a quarter.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
02:01
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Adam Kennedy)
02:13
Greater Western Sydney's forward efficiency has improved dramatically tonight compared to recent form. Over the past four weeks, the Giants have scored from 37% of their inside 50 entries – ranked 18th. Tonight the Giants have managed a score from 50% of their entries.
04:09
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Brent Daniels)
05:41
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Ian Hill)
06:18
Sam Day has been the No. 1 target inside 50 tonight for the Suns with eight targets. Day has dominated one on one contests recently, taking a mark from 50% of his offensive one on one contests over the last four weeks - the highest percentage of any player involved in at least five contests.
09:01
The Giants accumulated 40 fewer disposals to their opposition in the second half last week, but have turned that around tonight winning 45 more disposals than the Suns so far in this second half.
09:25
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jeremy Cameron)
12:42
Jeremy Cameron has now kicked a career-high eight goals in the match. This is the most goals ever kicked in a match by a Greater Western Sydney player.
19:27
Ben Ainsworth has now equaled his career-high for disposals tonight with 26. In his first 10 matches this season, Ainsworth spent 33% of his time on ground in the midfield but increased that to 55% last week. This increasing trend has continued tonight, where he has spent over 85% of the game playing in the midfield.
20:47
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Ben King)
23:03
The Giants' defenders have stepped up tonight, winning 38% of their defensive one on one contests. Across the past month, the Giants have won just 28% of their defensive one-on-one contests – ranked fourth-last.
25:36
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Rushed)
27:27
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jeremy Cameron)
28:25
Greater Western Sydney has been the No. 1 contested possession differential side this season - averaging 10 more than their opposition throughout 2019. The Giants have won 12 more post-clearance contested possessions than the Suns tonight, and have won 23 more groundballs in a smashing around the ground.
29:13
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Jeremy Cameron)
31:20
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Ben King)
31:22
A win tonight by 72 points secures the Giants a home elimination final. The Giants were led admirably by Jeremy Cameron who kicked a team-record nine goals in the match and takes the lead back in the Coleman Medal in the final round of the season.