AFL newcomers Gold Coast showed improvement as the Western Bulldogs cruised to a 71-point win at Etihad Stadium. While the Bulldogs were never challenged, the Suns were much more competitive in Saturday’s 18.14 (122) to 7.9 (51) result.
Bulldogs key forward Barry Hall kicked five goals, taking his career total to 701, while onballer Daniel Cross was outstanding with a game-high 37 disposals.
Hall is 20th on the all-time goalkicking list.
Tough Gold Coast defender Campbell Brown is certain to come under video scrutiny for two incidents in the first half.
The Suns were woeful last week in their AFL debut and Carlton smashed them by 119 points.
Captain Gary Ablett was Gold Coast’s best on Saturday with 34 possessions and young ruckman Zac Smith also impressed.
Gold Coast’s star rugby league convert Karmichael Hunt and teammate Deon Prestia limped off in the last term, apparently with bad cramp.
Brown collected Callan Ward with his upper arm off the ball 19 minutes into the first quarter.
The incident sparked a melee and the Bulldogs goalled soon after as Ward briefly left the field.
A free was paid against the Bulldogs for the next centre bounce and then a 50m penalty, which presented Daniel Gorringe with a gift goal – the Suns’ first of the game.
Brown will also come under video review for an incident in the second term, deep in the Bulldogs’ attack.
As Hall scrambled for the ball, Brown made high contact with him.
Hall was paid the free and kicked his second goal.
In the last few years, the match review panel have taken a dim view of high contact against players who are close to the ground and contesting the ball.
The Bulldogs’ medical staff were kept busy, with utility Daniel Giansiracusa suffering a gash to the back of the head five minutes into the first term.
Giansiracusa was very groggy at quarter-time and it appeared as though he might be subbed out of the game, in keeping with the league’s stricter concussion guidelines that came in for this season.
He went back on in the second term, but was eventually subbed out midway through the third quarter.
Shaun Higgins was ill on the sidelines early in the second term, while Tom Liberatore (hand) and Ben Hudson (leg) also needed treatment before halftime.
Gorringe took a soaring pack mark in the second term, but it was not paid because the ball was touched off the boot.
The roof was left open, leading to the rare sight in the last term of wet conditions at an Etihad Stadium game.
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