After a slow start to their final practice match, the Gold Coast SUNS reserves turned on the jets to defeat the Brisbane Lions by 92 points on Saturday at Metricon Stadium.
The SUNS kicked the last five goals of the second quarter to open up a 39-point lead at the main break and never looked back, running out winners 20.16 (136) to 5.14 (44).
“It’s always good to win, isn’t it?,” NEAFL coach Stephen Daniel told SUNS TV on Monday.
“We were really good, we were really happy with the way we went about it.
“I’ve been pretty happy I suppose throughout our practice matches. Our form’s been reasonably good. The first one against Southport then I felt we got a little bit better again against Aspley and then of course on the weekend playing Brisbane.
“We really clicked. But you did touch on having 18-listed players, it certainly does help. It helps the young fellas you do have playing out there also.”
The NEAFL side starts their season campaign this Saturday in Darwin against the 2015 premier NT Thunder.
Daniel is excited for the challenge of facing the league benchmark first-up.
“It’s been a long pre-season, practice matches now out of the way. We come up against the so-called best in the competition,” he said.
“We’re pretty excited, hopefully we go over there with 17, maybe 18-listed and go out there and have a real crack.”
GOLD COAST 3.4 9.8 15.11 20.16 (136)
BRISBANE 1.3 3.5 4.8 5.14 (44)
Best: B. Matera, K. Brooksby, M. Willis, D. Currie, J. Leslie
