Match

Gold Coast Suns vs GWS Giants

Commentary / 07 Apr 2024

Pre Game

00:00
Both teams are coming into this game fresh off their bye. The Giants have been in some form to start the season, winning their first three games by an average of 45 points. The Suns will be looking to go back to their winning ways after losing their last game against the Bulldogs.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:13
Matt Rowell gets the first clearance to start the game. He averages 11.7 clearances this season (ranked first in the AFL this year), which includes a 20-clearance game in Round 0.
01:45
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Toby Greene)
02:06
Toby Greene slots through the first goal of the game, with his goal being launched from a stoppage. The Giants have outscored their opponents by nine points this year - ranked fourth.
03:27
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Thomas Berry)
05:00
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Callum M. Brown)
06:47
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jesse Hogan)
06:50
The Giants have kicked the first three goals of the game, with their last two goals coming from marks inside 50. GWS has scored 28 goals from marks this year - the fourth most in the AFL.
08:35
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Brayden Fiorini)
08:45
The Suns respond with a goal through Brayden Fiorini, with his goal coming from a stoppage. The Suns only have a stoppage strike rate of 72.9 - ranked fifteenth for the season.
10:43
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jesse Hogan)
12:14
GWS' pressure to start has been enormous, already laying five tackles, having a pressure factor of 216 and keeping the Suns to a disposal efficiency of 68%.
12:42
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Jed Walter)
13:52
Sam Flanders is enjoying a change of position, playing in the backline for all of the quarter so far after playing the majority of this season as a midfielder. He has a game-high seven disposals as well as launching a score for the Suns.
14:57
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Jed Walter)
18:32
Sam Clohesy has been impressive in his AFL debut, collecting four disposals (all effective) as well as a score assist.
19:42
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Jarrod Witts)
22:04
The Suns have been able to get some control in the last 10 minutes, having 13 more marks, nine more disposals and three more shots at goal.
23:51
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Toby Greene)
24:27
Toby Greene kicks his second for the game, with his goal being the second goal launched from the defensive midfield zone. The Giants average 23 points launched from this zone - ranked second.
27:09
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben King)
27:27
Ben King kicks a late goal with his first disposal of the game. He has finished goalless in each of his last two games against the Giants. He is averaging a career-high 2.3 goals in 2024.
29:45
The Giants lead the Suns by nine points at the first break. The Giants have owned territory, having five more inside 50s (as well as seven of the last nine), and retaining their entries 24% better than the Suns.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
02:21
Both teams' pressure has dropped off, with GWS having a pressure factor of 171 and the Suns having 167. The AFL average pressure factor is 180.
03:09
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Nick Holman)
04:43
Stephen Coniglio has launched two goals for the Giants, with one being launched from a centre bounce and the other from an around the ground stoppage.
05:28
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Aaron Cadman)
05:52
Aaron Cadman's goal becomes the fourth goal from a mark for GWS. Their best return from this source came in Round 0, where the Giants score 12 goals from marks against Collingwood.
08:55
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben King)
09:50
Gold Coast score their second goal from a defensive midfield chain. They average 20 points from this zone this season - ranked fourth.
11:42
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Sam Clohesy)
12:12
Sam Clohesy continues to impress, scoring his first goal in the AFL. He has collected eight disposals, of which four have been won in a contested manner, 185 metres gained and two score involvements.
13:24
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben King)
14:57
The Suns have been electric in the last five minutes, scoring two goals from three entries. One of those goals came from a centre clearance and the other came from a repeat inside 50.
15:18
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Jesse Hogan)
17:18
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jake Riccardi)
17:42
Jake Riccardi ends a run of three goals from the Suns, with a goal launched from the forward 50. The Giants launch six scores from this zone a game - ranked fourth.
19:11
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Jack Lukosius)
19:23
The Suns have had five more first possessions at stoppages this quarter, but have had the same amount of clearances as GWS.
20:45
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Ethan Read)
23:21
The clearance ledger reads 7-6 in the favour of the Suns, with the Suns also gaining 28 more metres on average from their clearances.
23:32
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Matt Rowell)
24:34
Matt Rowell strikes with another goal from a repeat entry. The Suns have now scored three goals from this source.
25:58
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Toby Greene)
27:11
The defensive 50 zone has been a weapon for the Giants today, launching two goals and an inside 50 from 29% of chains in this zone. The Giants rank first and fifth for score launches and inside 50 launches from this zone this year.
27:45
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Brent Daniels)
28:17
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Callum M. Brown)
30:32
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Rushed)
32:14
The quarter spent 59% of time in the Suns' forward half, having seven more inside 50s and four more repeat entries. They were able to launch four scores from repeat entries, whereas the Giants were only able to launch two for the quarter.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:45
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben Ainsworth)
03:55
Jarrod Witts has been strong in the ruck contest against Kieran Briggs, leading the hitouts 14-9 and the hitouts-to-advantage 4-1, although the clearance count is even and the Giants have scored one more goal from stoppage when these two have been rucking opponents.
03:59
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Toby Greene)
05:50
The Suns have been strong in the air, having taken five more intercept marks. Sam Collins leads the way with five, as well as Charlie Ballard and Mac Andrew taking three each.
07:22
Both goals from each team this quarter have come from forward 50 intercepts. This season, the Suns rank fourth and the Giants rank seventeenth for scores from forward 50 intercepts.
10:24
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Stephen Coniglio)
11:50
The connection between the ruckmen and the midfielders has been lacklustre for the Giants. They have only had one gather from a hitout today. Their lowest in history for a game is two, which happened on three occasions.
17:30
Jesse Hogan has been targeted 10 times inside 50 today - double more than the next most targeted player. He has already taken three forward 50 marks and scored two goals. This season, he has been targeted inside 50 the third most out of any player in the league.
17:35
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Nick Holman)
19:56
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Callum M. Brown)
22:19
The Suns have been strong once the ball has left the stoppage area, collecting five more post-clearance contested possessions for the game. They won this ledger in Round 0 by 14, but have lost this by 12 and eight in their most recent games.
22:40
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Malcolm Rosas)
26:09
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Malcolm Rosas)
26:16
Malcolm Rosas kicks back-to-back goals to give the Suns the lead. There have been eight lead changes today, with the Giants being in the lead for 78 minutes of game time, whilst the Suns have been in front for just nine minutes.
28:44
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Rushed)
29:51
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Stephen Coniglio)
30:16
Stephen Coniglio has been on fire today as he slots through his second of the game. He has collected 18 disposals, 426 metres gained, seven inside 50s and three clearances.
32:00
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jake Riccardi)
33:42
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Jed Walter)
35:38
The Giants score two goals in succession late, with both goals sourcing from throw-in clearances. This has been a really damaging source for goals today as they have scored five goals from this source. GWS scored five goals from throw-ins in total in their first three games.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:19
From the 28 centre bounces, the Suns have got their hands on the ball first 19 times and converted those to 15 centre clearances. The Giants have had six first possessions and nine centre clearances, yet both teams have scored 1.1 (7) from this source.
03:12
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jesse Hogan)
03:48
Jesse Hogan kicks his third of the game to extend the lead out to 15 points. The Giants have been extremely accurate from their set shots, scoring 11.1 (67) from this source. In contrast, Gold Coast has only scored 4.4 (28).
05:35
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ethan Read)
05:48
Ethan Reid scores his first career goal in the first game of his career. All three of Gold Coast's debutants have been impressive, with Ethan Reid kicking a goal, Will Graham collecting 16 disposals and four clearances, as well as Sam Clohesy having 17 disposals and a goal.
07:10
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Rushed)
10:55
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Xavier O'Halloran)
12:18
The Giants have stamped their foot down in this term, having 18 more disposals, 15 more contested possessions, nine more inside 50s and four more shots at goal.
13:29
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Toby Greene)
14:27
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Aaron Cadman)
15:30
Jack Lukosius is enjoying a change of position, having spent 92% of this game and 93% of last week's game in defence. He has collected 22 disposals, eight intercepts and eight marks today. He has not spent more than 17% of game time in the backline since Round 18 of 2022.
16:55
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Noah Anderson)
18:09
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Noah Anderson)
19:17
Noah Anderson keeps the Suns in the game with a neat goal. He leads the way for disposals for the Gold Coast, collecting 29 disposals as well as being involved in seven scores.
19:56
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Callum M. Brown)
21:25
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Noah Anderson)
23:59
Tom Green has been solid today, but has been down on his stoppage work, only managing to have two clearances. The last time he had fewer than two clearances was in Round 17 of 2023 against Hawthorn.
24:16
SCORE BEHIND - GIANTS (Kieren Briggs)
27:22
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Toby Greene)
28:15
Toby Greene slots his fifth for the game to seal it for the Giants. A virtuoso performance from the number four, he has had 17 disposals, 447 metres gained, six inside 50s and 11 score involvements.
29:13
SCORE GOAL - GIANTS (Jesse Hogan)
31:11
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Brayden Fiorini)
31:36
A disappointing end to the game for the Suns, but they fought until the end. Impressive performances from Sam Flanders (29 disposals @ 83%), Noah Anderson (33 disposals and a goal) and Sam Clohesy (22 disposals and a goal) kept the Suns contesting until late.