It was a glorious 64 minutes and 52 seconds.

Amid the countless statistical ‘firsts’ and ‘bests’ that underlined the Gold Coast SUNS’ historic four-goal win over the Sydney Swans at the SCG on Saturday, one was especially significant.

For the first time in 382 games and 37 years at the SCG, the Swans have been held goalless for two quarters in a row.

From when the time-clock showed 25min 37sec in the first quarter, until 2min 30sec into the final quarter, the goal umpire at the Swans end of the ground had no need for two flags as the SUNS’ defence repelled everything the home side threw at them.

It was a magnificent effort by a group which included the side’s only four 100-game players in Michael Rischitelli, Jarrod Harbrow, Steven May and Rory Thompson, plus youngsters Jesse Joyce and Charlie Ballard; while Kade Kolodjashnij was playing his first AFL game since Round 4.

Going hand in hand with this telling statistic was the fact that for the first time in club history, the SUNS kicked eight unanswered goals.

This bettered two seven-goal streaks in 2014, when they kicked the first seven goals of the game in the first quarter against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium, and seven goals in the third quarter against Hawthorn at Metricon Stadium last year, when they had a club record 86-point win.

It was all part of a day that will be long remembered by SUNS fans.

Indeed, given that 17^th-placed SUNS were on an 11-game losing streak, and the fourth-placed Swans had kicked the first five goals of the game, a lot of Gold Coast insiders have rated the club’s 44^th win their best.

Certainly, it was a special day for Stuart Dew as, for the first time, the 38-year-old first-year coach took on the club where he had spent eight years as an assistant coach.

When the final siren sounded, and the scoreboard read 12.16 (88) to 8.16 (64), it sent the statisticians running wild.

It was the SUNS’ first win in nine games against the Swans, after they had lost the previous eight by an average of 55 points, leaving Adelaide as the only opposition club the Gold Coast are still to beat.

It was their first win in four visits to the SCG, and for all SUNS players except Jarrod Lyons and Aaron Young it was their first career win at the SCG.

For the 25^th time in his 285-game career, and the first time against the SUNS, Swans spearhead Lance Franklin was held goalless.

It was the first time the SUNS had held an opposition team goalless for two quarters in a row, and the second time they held an opposition in goalless for two quarters in the same game, after they held North goalless in the second and fourth quarters in cyclonic conditions in Cairns in Round 1 this year.

It was the SUNS’ third win all-time in 36 matches against a side sitting inside the top four on the ladder, having previously beaten Geelong when they were fourth in 2014 and third last year.

It was the 15^th time the SUNS have won after trailing at quarter-time, and their second-best all-time behind the Round 17 2011 game against Richmond in Cairns, when they trailed by 36 points at the first break and won by 15.

It was the first time since Round 20 2012 the SUNS have won with five teenagers in the side, and, with an average age of 23 years 162 days and total games experience of 1558, it was the youngest and least experienced winning SUNS team in two years.

For 18-year-olds Ballard, Brayden Crossley, Jacob Heron and Will Powell it was their first AFL win, and for Ballard in particular it was the end of a long wait. 

His first win came in his 12^th game. Only four players in club history have waited longer – Matthew Warnock (15), May (14), Darcy Macpherson (13) and Peter Wright (12).

Will Brodie, in his eighth game, had a career-best 27 possessions and topped the SUNS’ possession count for the first time.

May had an equal career-best 14 marks. Wright had an equal career-best 20 possessions and a career-best 13 contested possessions, Aaron Young an equal career-best four goals, and Alex Sexton an equal career-best three goals.

And for club games record-holder Harbrow, in his 149^th SUNS game, it was a welcome 30^th birthday present.

The ever-dependable utility turned 30 last Wednesday and became the ninth player to play for the SUNS beyond his 30^th birthday behind Gary Ablett (33), Rischitelli (32), Nick Malceski (31), Matt Rosa (31), Nathan Bock (30), Josh Fraser (30), Matthew Warnock (30) and Michael Barlow (30).

Rory Thompson became the 10^th SUNS player to play in 30 wins for the club behind Harbrow (41), May (38), Tom Lynch (37), Ablett (35), Aaron Hall (33), Sam Day (32), Rischitelli (31), David Swallow (31) and Brandon Matera (31).

Jarrod Witts, with 56 ruck hit-outs to go with 14 possessions and an equal career-best nine tackles, jumped to second spot on the League hit-outs leaderboard ahead of Collingwood’s Brodie Grundy (631) and behind only Melbourne’s Max Gawn (780). 

The SUNS collectively, with 1645 Champion Data ranking points, posted their highest team score since Rounds 1 and 2, and had an equal season-high six players top 100 points, including two-goal star Lachie Weller, Young, Sexton and May, who each posted season highs. Witts and Miller each posted their eighth Champion Data ‘ton’.

And Wright, with his 47^th game, surpassed the club record for games in jumper #30 held previously by Campbell Brown at 46.