By Michael Whiting

Gold Coast SUNS produced the most surprising half of football of the season against Geelong on Saturday night; the challenge now is to maintain it over four quarters.

Against an undefeated Geelong team boasting 17 premiership players, the GC SUNS dominated contested possessions and headed to half-time 11 points ahead.

A last-half capitulation saw Geelong pile on 13 goals to Gold Coast SUNS one, but the performance showed the potential of the League’s newest side.

"[The first half against Geelong] instils great belief in the playing group that our best is good enough," Gold Coast SUNS vice-captain Nathan Bock said

"We've just got to rectify those little lapses that let us down in the second half. We'll just keep building and the boys will take plenty of confidence out of that.

"We've played 10 or so games (eight) and it's all starting to come together. We've still got a fair bit to go but as you saw in the first half, when we play some fast exciting football we can really test these top sides."

The GC SUNS next test is against top-eight contender West Coast at Patersons Stadium on Saturday, who despite a convincing last-round loss to Collingwood, remain one of the AFL’s most improved teams.

The match marks the second of a 15-week run for the GC SUNS, having already had two byes in the first nine rounds of the season.

"West Coast are a really in-form team," Bock said. "I think if we can play the sort of footy we did in the first half [against Geelong], if we can put four quarters of that type of footy together, we're going to be a great chance.

"We looked at some stats and our contested football dropped away and that's a mindset thing and having a young group probably plays a big part in that but you don’t want to make excuses.

"We'll continue to train the younger guys and get them up to four quarter efforts."