A young GC SUNS line-up has gone down to the Brisbane Lions in the first unofficial 'QClash'.
The Gold Coast SUNS suffered a 67-point loss against the Brisbane Lions in their final NAB Challenge match at Southport on Sunday.
The GC SUNS were more than competitive in the first quarter, leading by three points, but were outclassed in the final three terms to go down 17.19 (121) to 7.12 (54).
With experienced Gary Ablett, Jared Brennan, Nathan Bock and Campbell Brown all not playing in the new derby – a match that will be known as the Queensland Clash or QClash in premiership season matches between the two Queensland teams – the home team ran out of legs in the first match against their Queensland rivals.
Coach Guy McKenna said his team needed to work on their stoppages and run to complete four quarters.
"In quite a simplistic way, when they (Lions) have the ball they can play the way they want to play and they kick goals, and when we did that we kicked goals too," he said.
"But in the second quarter we just couldn't get near it. It's a bit hard to wheel-and-go when you don't get it. It's more about our stoppage and our clearance set-ups. If we get that right, we win the ball and get it forward we're half a chance of scoring."We don't accept losing. As long as we stick to our structures and keep having a go it'll give us a chance of finishing over sides.
"Today when our structures were there and we competed for 50-50 ball, we owned the ball, we kicked more goals than Brisbane, but when we fell away from that we came up short and that's mental application as much as physical application.
"One of the highlights for the GC SUNS was the form of rugby league convert Karmichael Hunt, who started on Mitch Clark in defence and was a solid contributor most of the day.
"He played really well," McKenna said. "I think he's shown enough to suggest that he'll be certainly one of the first picked in our back six (for the GC SUNS first match in round two), that's for sure.
"While not wanting to make excuses, McKenna said he was looking forward to having the more mature bodies of Ablett and Brennan to compete in the midfield when the season starts.
Brent Staker was the main contributor for the Lions with three goals but it was the midfield scorers, so often the Lions' problem area, that dominated.
Tom Rockliff and Mitch Clark added two each and another 10 Lions jumped in with a single goal.
Coach Michael Voss said the Lions had worked hard to find avenues to goal other than captain Jonathan Brown, who was missing with a knee infection."We've had to change a few things in our forward structure," Voss said.
"But the challenge will be the next stage and can we ignore the big fella (Brown) when he's running in front of us and still find those extras, but we've spent a fair bit of time on midfielders joining in on goalkicking and also our half forwards and the role they play.The match had moments with some genuine feeling, with former Lion Michael Rischitelli and James Polkinghorne getting into some heated push-and-shove inside the first five minutes.
But once the Lions opened up their running game in the second quarter and kicked seven unanswered goals in 14 minutes, the contest was over.
BRISBANE LIONS 2.5 9.10 12.16 17.20 (122)
GOLD COAST SUNS 3.2 4.4 6.9 7.12 (54)
GOALS
Brisbane Lions: Staker 3, Clark 2, Rocklif 2, Power, Rich, Banfield, Black, Redden, O'Brien, Maguire, Raines, Bewick, Beams
Gold Coast SUNS: Dixon 2, Flanagan, Fraser, Patrick, Krakouer, Matera
BEST
Brisbane Lions: Hanley, Staker, Rich, O'Brien, Beams, McGrath
Gold Coast: Swallow, Matera, Fraser, Dixon, Tape
INJURIES
Brisbane Lions: McCauley (ankle)Gold Coast: Daye (shoulder)
Reports: Nil
Official crowd: 4053 at Southport
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
