Gold Coast threw everything at Melbourne on Saturday night, but the Demons clung on in a thriller at Heritage Bank Stadium to win by five points.
With less than 30 seconds remaining, SUNS defender Darcy Macpherson had a set shot from 40m that could have earned his team a draw, but his effort went to the right.
Melbourne hung on to win 13.12 (90) to 13.7 (85) in front of a parochial home crowd.
After the Demons got out to a 15-point lead early in the final quarter of what had been an intense, see-sawing battle, the SUNS mustered one last effort and could consider themselves unlucky to not get something from the game.
Noah Anderson, clearly the best player on the ground, kicked a goal to close the margin to nine points, and when Malcolm Rosas Jnr kicked his fourth goal minutes later, a grandstand finish was in order.
Anderson finished with 36 disposals, 10 clearances and three goal assists to go along with his goal in a Herculean two-way performance.
His prowess and quick hands around the stoppages helped the SUNS earn a 40-34 clearance advantage and 141-118 contested possession edge.
But the Demons did enough, with Christian Petracca (26), Max Gawn and Clayton Oliver (28) all having enough of an influence to earn their team the four premiership points.
Melbourne shot out to a three-goal lead early in the match as it made the most of every foray forward.
Jacob van Rooyen, Kysaiah Pickett and Brodie Grundy all kicked truly before Gold Coast wrestled back the momentum with a relentless hunt around the contest.
Matt Rowell got on top around the stoppages, while Rosas Jnr (who kicked three goals in the first half) finished nicely.
Melbourne was the slightly more composed team as tempers frayed, kicking goals right on the quarter-time siren and then again just before the half to take a seven-point lead to the main break.
Late in the second quarter the teams came together with some push-and-shove, with Gawn and Witts at the centre of things after Mabior Chol kicked a goal and celebrated with intent.
The third quarter was more of the same back and forth action, with the intensity and pressure from both teams seemingly rising the longer the match wore on.
Anderson had 12 disposals for the term, lifting his team, while Angus Brayshaw had nine for Melbourne as Ben King's goal on the siren levelled scores at the final change.
Rowell-Anderson one-two punch
Against one of, if not the, best midfields in the competition, Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson continued to enhance their burgeoning reputations with another outstanding showing. Anderson was the best player on the ground and Rowell's 11 clearances were enormous against Oliver, Petracca and Jack Viney. Seventeen of Anderson's 36 disposals – both match-highs – were contested, while Rowell earned 13 of his 18 the hard way.
Kade Chandler's magic finish
The young Melbourne forward is having a great season and added another highlight to his resume with a brilliant first quarter goal. With the ball running into the Demons' forward 50, Chandler sprinted after it, picked it up, evaded Wil Powell and Sean Lemmens and then calmly swung on to his left boot and curled home a finish from 40m for a spectacular goal.
Ballard leaves the field on a stretcher
Midway through the fourth quarter, Gold Coast defender Charlie Ballard left the field on a stretcher after an incident involving young Dee Jacob van Rooyen. Ballard had plonked himself under a high ball close to goal and was expecting to take an uncontested mark before van Rooyen made a late, clumsy challenge to spoil. It appeared the young forward's arm made contact high with Ballard, sending him crumpling to the ground. Play was halted for five minutes while he was assisted from the field.
GOLD COAST 3.3 7.4 11.6 13.7 (85)
MELBOURNE 4.4 8.5 11.6 13.12 (90)
GOALS
Gold Coast: Rosas 4, Casboult 2, Chol 2, King 2, Anderson, Ellis, Lukosius
Melbourne: Gawn 2, Grundy 2, Pickett 2, Bowey, Chandler, Jordon, Neal-Bullen, Petracca, Sparrow, van Rooyen
BEST
Gold Coast: Anderson, Macpherson, Ballard, Powell, Rowell, Lemmens
Melbourne: Petracca, Gawn, Oliver, Brayshaw, Sparrow, May
INJURIES
Gold Coast: Ballard (head), Long (leg)
Melbourne: Nil
LATE CHANGES
Gold Coast: Nil
Melbourne: Daniel Turner replaced Michael Hibberd (managed) in the selected side
SUBSTITUTES
Gold Coast: James Tsitas (replaced Sam Flanders in the fourth quarter)
Melbourne: James Harmes (replaced Daniel Turner in the fourth quarter)
Crowd: 11,440 at Heritage Bank Stadium
