The SUNS fielded an equal-record nine Queenslanders in the one-point win over Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night to give the club an equal record 10 wins for the season and their first ‘away’ win against the Bombers.

It also made Essendon the 10^th club on the SUNS ‘double kill’ list – those they have beaten twice in the same season – and leaves only three vacant slots on the all-time home-and-away  ‘kill’ list - Sydney at home, and Adelaide and Collingwood away.

Veteran Queenslander Alex Sexton, Sam Clohesy and SUNS Academy graduates Lachie Weller, Will Graham, Bodhi Uwland, Jed Walter, Alex Davies, Jake Rogers and Connor Budarick enjoyed just the second one-point win in SUNS history.

Sexton and Weller were the survivors from the only other time the club fielded nine Queenslanders – in a seven-point loss to the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat in 2018.

The other ‘locals’ to play in a game in which the SUNS led at every change were debutant Troy Crossley, Jarrod Harbrow, Jesse Joyce, Rory Thompson, Max Spencer, Jack Bowes and Brad Scheer. It was also Charlie Ballard’s first game.

The win over the Bombers, secured with an unforgettable Mac Andrew goal after the siren, ends a run of six interstate losses – not the 15 that some media outlets were quoting over the weekend.

While Round 9-10 games against North Melbourne and Geelong this year, and Round 11-12 games against Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs last year were technically ‘home’ games relocated to Darwin, they are still ‘interstate’ games.

Saturday night’s win, though, was the SUNS first at a venue other than People First Stadium and TIO Stadium in Darwin since Round 9 last year, when they beat West Coast by 43 points in Perth.

Since then, until Andrew’s post-siren heroics on Saturday night, they’d lost 15 times at 10 different interstate venues – MCG, Adelaide Oval (2), Canberra, SCG (2), Hobart, Ballarat, Mt.Barker, Marvel Stadium (3), Perth Stadium (2) and Sydney Showgrounds.

The heavy Queensland flavor in the winning side on Saturday night represents a monumental progression from Round 18 last year, when the SUNS fielded a side without Queensland representation for the first time. And did likewise in Rounds 19-20-21-22.

With two games to play against Melbourne at People First Stadium next Saturday afternoon and Richmond at the MCG seven days later, Queenslanders have totalled 103 games this year – up from 39 last year, 84 in 2022 and 81 in 2021.

Only three times previously has the ‘local division’ topped triple figures – 100 games in 2013, 108 in 2019, and a record 147 in 2018.

It was also a first win at Marvel Stadium for Bodhi Uwland, Will Graham, Sam Closehy, Jed Walter and Jake Rogers, and Connor Budarick, who played under the roof for the first time.

The sweet Andrew goal, which even he admitted looked less convincing off the boot, gives the SUNS a 2-2 split in one-point games. They also beat the Western Bulldogs by a point in Ballarat in 2021, when David Swallow converted a free kick at the top of the goal square two minutes from time.

Their two one-point losses were both in 2019 – in Round 1 against StKilda at Marvel, when a behind for the Saints from Jack Lonie proved the difference, and in Round 8 against Melbourne at PFS, when a Tom McDonald behind got the Demons over the line.

There were also some significant individual milestones on Saturday night as Jarrod Witts captained the club for the 100^th time.

Ben King’s three goals saw him post only the second goal-kicking half-century in club history. His 52 goals this season betters his previous best of 47 goals in 2021, and leaves only Tom Lynch’s 66 goals in 2016 ahead of him.

Noah Anderson’s 26 possessions against the Bombers saw him post the eighth 600-possession season a week after Sam Flanders registered the seventh against West Coast in Perth.

Flanders, who had 22 touches against Essendon for a season total of 626, has gone past Anderson’s 619-possession campaign of last year, and Gary Ablett’s 605 possessions in 2011.

It’s been a massive season for Flanders – his previous best was 339 last year.

Flanders has pulled level with Touk Miller’s 626 possessions in 2022, leaving only Ablett’s 655 in 2013, Miller’s 665 in 2021 and Ablett’s 675 in 2012 ahead of him.