Gold Coast have recorded their first AFLW victory with an 11-point win over Richmond at Metricon Stadium.
The Suns’ strong running in Saturday’s hot and humid conditions was too much for the Tigers, with the home team claiming a 5.3 (33) to 2.10 (22) win.
Gold Coast midfielders Jamie Stanton (20 disposals) and Lauren Ahrens (16) impressed in the engine room, with Kate Surman’s two goals also critical to the win.
Richmond competed strongly around the ground and edged the Suns for inside-50ms, but poor conversion in front of goal proved costly.
The Suns started brightly with strong attack on the ball and quick outside run to gain the early ascendancy in front of a 7071-strong crowd on the Gold Coast.
Jamie Stanton’s opening goal for the Suns five minutes into the match meant Gold Coast, at 1.2 (8), had equalled their total match score from last week’s rain-drenched round-one clash.
Goals to crafty Tiger Tayla Stahl and Christina Bernardi kept Richmond in touch early, but the Suns jumped to an 11-point halftime lead thanks to Surman’s goals and a dominant display from midfielder Leah Kaslar.
The match turned into an arm wrestle in the third quarter, with both teams unable to capitalise on their forward entries until a final-minute goal to the Suns’ Jacqui Yorston stretched their lead to 16 points at the final break.
Richmond dominated territory and possession in the final quarter but struggled to find goals, with their only major scores from the match coming in the first quarter.
It was a strong defensive finish from the Suns, with their pressure and ability to repel repeated attacks telling.
For Richmond, Pheobe Monahan (21 disposals), Monique Conti and Sarah Sansonetti (20 each) put in solid shifts but could not do enough to lift their team to victory.