Gold Coast might have lost its ninth straight game but coach Stuart Dew believes the second half comeback against a finals-bound opponent was a turning point for his club.
The Suns started strongly but a barnstorming second-quarter from Collingwood paved the way for the Pies to run out 14.15 (99) to 8.12 (60) winners at Metricon Stadium.
When Collingwood's lead hit 59 points during the third quarter it felt like Gold Coast was staring down the barrel of another blow-out loss.
But with Jarrod Harbrow leading the way, the Suns cut the Magpies’ lead down to 39 points at the final siren, a margin that could have been even less if not for Gold Coast's inaccuracy.
Dew said the last 40 minutes of the match was the style of football they'd like to play more consistently going forward.
"We did still turn the ball over but I think the heart that they showed, and I guess the passion for each other, was really there," Dew said.
"It’s a turning point for the footy club, I think the way they went about it. Now that was mid-quarter, which was pleasing as well because at times we've had to get to the break to regroup.
"After they kicked the first three goals in the third quarter, the response was impressive. Full credit to the players on that one.
"I think there was a lot to like for our footy club and supporters."
Dew said the emotion the Suns' players showed when they congratulated teammates who scored goals or made good tackles showed the closeness of the group.
He said the challenge was to turn that sense of togetherness into wins, not losses.
While proud of their efforts, Dew pointed to the Suns' turnovers and poor forward 50m entries as the difference between the two teams.
"For a while there every time it went inside 50 they were able to score because of the quality of the ball. We lacked the polish up the other end," he said.
"We will keep working and look forward to the game when we really get reward for our effort, because I think our guys tried their hearts out tonight."
Dew praised Harbrow for leading the Suns' resurgence in the second half, and also paid tribute to debutant Wil Powell, who scored a great snapped goal with this first kick on debut.
"He'll remember that one, Powelly," Dew said.
"It might sound silly but we weren’t surprised because he does that at training regularly… he's got a lot to learn about AFL footy and what goes in and around it, but certainly for the two hours on the weekend, he's got some real football IQ that we're excited about."
