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Scoreboard | Match report | Match statistics
Round: 1 Venue: Carrara Stadium Date: Sat, 26-03-2016 3:35 pm Crowd: 16,239 | |||||
Gold Coast | 5.5.35 | 11.9.75 | 15.14.104 | 17.19.121 | C: Rodney Eade |
Essendon | 1.0.6 | 5.1.31 | 7.5.47 | 9.6.60 | C: John Worsfold |
SUNS by 29 | SUNS by 44 | SUNS by 57 | SUNS by 61 |
Weather |
20.3°C 29.3°C |
0mm 69% 1014.0mb |
28km/h NNE |
Brownlow Medal | 3 Aaron Hall (SUNS) | 2 Tom Lynch (SUNS) | 1 Gary Ablett (SUNS) |
The Gold Coast Suns did what they had to do against an embattled Essendon at Carrara on Saturday afternoon, kicking off the season with a 10-goal win over the Bombers. Only time will tell, however, if the Suns are the 'real deal' in 2016, with no one yet really sure what a 'par' score will be this season against the Bombers, who have had the heart ripped out of their team as a result of the WADA suspension handed to most of their players.
David Zaharakis scored the first goal of the match, giving Essendon am early lead but with majors to Touk Miller and Jack Martin by the five-minute mark, Gold Coast took a lead that it would not relinquish for the rest of the afternoon. By quarter time the Suns had added another three goals, through Jesse Lonergan, Tom Lynch (two), and led by a comfortable 29 points.
Essendon looked as good as it would all day in the first five minutes of the second term, and goals to Shaun McKernan and Ryan Crowley had the Dons within 16 points. But Gary Ablett sparked the Suns with his first and it was one-way traffic Gold Coast's way for the next 20 minutes as Aaron Hall, Jack Martin, debutant Callum Ah Chee and Dion Prestia all added goals to put the Suns 49 points clear. Kyle Langford pulled one back for the Dons but Lynch responded for the Suns before a late goal to Joe Daniher cut the difference to 44 points at the long break.
Zaharakis repeated his first-quarter effort with the first goal of the third term but the next four majors went Gold Coast's way via Sam Day, Hall, Nick Malceski and Lynch. Ex-Cat Mathew Stokes closed out the quarter with his first for the Bombers but the Suns were a long way clear - 56 points - at the last change of ends.
Somewhat incredibly, Stokes also kicked the first two goals of the final term, meaning that Essendon had kicked the first goal in every quarter, including the first two of the second and last terms. Sam day resumed normal service for the Suns with a goal at the 10-minute mark, before an extended period in which neither team could manage more than behinds. Eventually Sun Alex Sexton broke the drought, and Gold Coast cruised to a 61-point win.
In his return from injury, Ablett was sublime, with 34 possessions and a goal, while Hall (36 disposals, two goals) was also outstanding. For Essendon, Zaharakis (33 touches, two goals) was a fine player for four quarters, with Zach Merrett (31 disposals, 10 marks) also playing a solid match.
The Suns can expect a much sterner test in round two when they take on Fremantle at Subiaco on Sunday. A win there would certainly strengthen Gold Coast's claims to being the 'real deal'. The Bombers will face first-up winners Melbourne on Saturday at the MCG.
GOALS
Gold Coast: Lynch 4; Martin, Day, Hall 2; Ah Chee, Malceski, Lonergan, Miller, Sexton, Prestia, Ablett
Essendon: Stokes 3; Zaharakis 2; McKernan, Daniher, Crowley, Langford
BEST - THE SUNDAY HERALD SUN
Gold Coast: Ablett, Hall, Rischitelli, Lynch, Prestia, Rosa, Lonergan
Essendon: Zaharakis, Z. Merrett, Kelly, Goddard
BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Gold Coast: Hall, Ablett, Rosa, Sexton, Rischitelli, Lynch, Malceski
Essendon: Zaharkis, Stokes, Parish, Z.Merrett
INJURIES
Gold Coast: Kolodjashnij (illness) replaced in selected side by Ah Chee
Essendon: Nil
UMPIRES: Hosking, Hay, McInerney
TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy
Video sourced from YouTube, courtesy of the AFL.
Gold Coast | Match Stats | Career | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Player | K | M | H | D | G | B | HO | T | FF | FA | Age | Games | G |
9 | Ablett, Gary | 20 | 4 | 14 | 34 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 31y 317d | 275 | 369 |
13 | Ah Chee, Callum | 4 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 18y 169d | 1 | 1 |
27 | Cameron, Clay | 7 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 21y 304d | 16 | 1 |
39 | Davis, Ryan | 8 | 1 | 9 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 26y 293d | 15 | 4 |
12 | Day, Sam | 7 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 23y 202d | 79 | 53 |
33 | Hall, Aaron | 19 | 4 | 17 | 36 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 25y 138d | 62 | 57 |
5 | Harbrow, Jarrod | 10 | 3 | 10 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 27y 252d | 164 | 48 |
23 | Lemmens, Sean | 4 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 21y 145d | 37 | 6 |
37 | Lonergan, Jesse | 9 | 3 | 11 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 21y 133d | 32 | 4 |
19 | Lynch, Tom | 8 | 7 | 10 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 23y 147d | 81 | 128 |
7 | Malceski, Nick | 12 | 4 | 7 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 31y 224d | 193 | 71 |
4 | Martin, Jack | 8 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 21y 57d | 24 | 23 |
17 | May, Steven | 12 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 24y 76d | 72 | 15 |
18 | McKenzie, Trent | 13 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 23y 358d | 93 | 22 |
11 | Miller, Touk | 9 | 2 | 11 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 20y 33d | 23 | 8 |
22 | Nicholls, Tom | 5 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 24y 22d | 31 | 5 |
10 | Prestia, Dion | 13 | 3 | 16 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 23y 166d | 82 | 27 |
35 | Rischitelli, Michael | 7 | 3 | 20 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 30y 78d | 200 | 85 |
3 | Rosa, Matt | 16 | 9 | 16 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 29y 124d | 169 | 39 |
42 | Saad, Adam | 7 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 21y 247d | 17 | 1 |
6 | Sexton, Alex | 15 | 6 | 8 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 22y 114d | 38 | 19 |
16 | Thompson, Rory | 10 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 25y 14d | 66 | 7 |
Rushed | 3 | |||||||||||||
Totals | 223 | 91 | 205 | 428 | 17 | 19 | 27 | 87 | 20 | 17 | 24y 180d | 1770 | 993 |
Essendon | Match Stats | Career | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Player | K | M | H | D | G | B | HO | T | FF | FA | Age | Games | G |
29 | Ambrose, Patrick | 8 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 24y 207d | 33 | 19 |
12 | Baguley, Mark | 11 | 7 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 28y 310d | 73 | 2 |
24 | Bird, Craig | 4 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 27y 65d | 138 | 56 |
28 | Brown, Mitch | 10 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 25y 211d | 16 | 9 |
17 | Cooney, Adam | 7 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 30y 178d | 231 | 196 |
51 | Crowley, Ryan | 6 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 32y 21d | 189 | 117 |
6 | Daniher, Joe | 7 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22y 22d | 49 | 66 |
49 | Dea, Matt | 6 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 24y 165d | 32 | 1 |
8 | Gleeson, Martin | 11 | 5 | 8 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21y 214d | 32 | 4 |
9 | Goddard, Brendon | 8 | 7 | 16 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 30y 311d | 270 | 149 |
42 | Gwilt, James | 11 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 29y 228d | 138 | 25 |
47 | Kelly, James | 15 | 8 | 11 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 32y 88d | 274 | 88 |
30 | Langford, Kyle | 7 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19y 116d | 9 | 4 |
22 | Leuenberger, Matthew | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 27y 293d | 109 | 27 |
43 | McDonald-Tipungwuti, Anthony | 6 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 22y 339d | 1 | 0 |
44 | McKernan, Shaun | 4 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 25y 207d | 44 | 28 |
20 | Merrett, Jackson | 9 | 4 | 12 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 23y 28d | 44 | 19 |
7 | Merrett, Zach | 18 | 10 | 13 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 20y 175d | 38 | 15 |
3 | Parish, Darcy | 8 | 5 | 17 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 18y 245d | 1 | 0 |
52 | Simpkin, Jonathan | 8 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 28y 150d | 38 | 16 |
48 | Stokes, Mathew | 18 | 7 | 9 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 31y 125d | 190 | 206 |
11 | Zaharakis, David | 21 | 5 | 12 | 33 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 26y 34d | 127 | 98 |
Rushed | 1 | |||||||||||||
Totals | 205 | 98 | 178 | 383 | 9 | 6 | 39 | 56 | 17 | 20 | 26y 20d | 2076 | 1145 |