Editor
A career-best seven goals from Tom J Lynch has seen the Gold Coast Suns take their second win of the year, over the Carlton Blues.
Final score
Carlton Blues 82
Gold Coast Suns 108
No one could have seen this coming. The Carlton Blues and Gold Coast Suns square off with the victor taking a two and two record into the Anzac weekend. Join The Roar for live scores and analysis from 7.25pm (AEST).
Carlton were the popular pre-season tip for the wooden spoon and after being pummelled in Round 2 by GWS, it appeared Gold Coast were heading down a similarly miserable path.
In a staggering upset, the Suns came out firing against a hapless Hawthorn Hawks, taking an 86-point thrashing that ensured everyone’s Round 3 tips went down the toilet.
Gary Ablett’s return to form after a quiet outing against the Giants was the biggest point as he racked up 36 possessions and two goals.
But it wasn’t just the Ablett show for the Suns like it has been previously – David Swallow showed what he can bring to the table when fully fit with 34 silky touches, while Jack Martin and Brandon Matera were more than a handful up forward with three and six goals apiece.
Like their opponents, Carlton enjoyed their own upset victory last week, recording a memorable 15-point victory over a highly-fancied Essendon outfit in torrential conditions at the MCG.
While their obvious skill deficiency brought them unstuck in the early rounds, the weekend’s downpour made the game a war of attrition, and the Blues’ ferocity and hardness at the ball told the story.
Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs were sublime with 67 disposals between them, with Murphy providing a rare highlight with a miraculous banana goal from the boundary line.
Under the roof at Etihad Stadium, they’ll have to play in different conditions, but the form of their engine room, with Matthew Kreuzer excelling in the ruck and Patrick Cripps continuing his rise into the game’s elite alongside Murphy and Gibbs, means they can’t be underestimated.
Youngster Zac Fisher will make his AFL debut, and while he only stands at 175cm, last year’s pick 27 in the national draft is renowned for his ball-winning ability and clean hands.
Prediction
This game should be a cracker, in excitement if not quality with both sides appearing evenly matched. However, Gold Coast’s run against the Hawks last week was eye-catching and against a side not known for their leg speed in the Blues, the likes of Adam Saad, Jarrod Harbrow and Aaron Hall might be able to break the game open.
Suns by 9.
Can the Suns make it two in a row and win their first match in Melbourne since Round nine 2014? (That’s 1055 days if you were wondering.) Or will Murphy, Gibbs and co. lead the Blues to two and 2?
Tune into The Roar for live coverage from 7.25pm (AEST) and find out. Also, be sure to leave your thoughts in the section below.