Gold Coast’s band of youngsters have strengthened their grip on a third AFLW finals berth, beating Essendon by 41 points at Windy Hill.
The Suns have surprised many this season after starting the campaign as one of the more youthful and inexperienced sides in the league.
Their 7.9 (51) to 1.4 (10) win over Essendon on Sunday was their third consecutive victory and moved them into fifth spot, just four points behind second-placed defending champions North Melbourne.
Gold Coast’s defence was resolute in the blustery conditions, and the Bombers didn’t score a point until late in the second quarter.
In the same time, the visitors were dominating territory and snagged three goals courtesy of a trio of players all aged under 21.
After leading by 20 points at half-time, Suns forward Anne Hatchard and midfielder Charlie Rowbottom added their names to the scoresheet, before Emily Gough found the Bombers’ only major late in the third period.
The visitors grabbed another two goals in the final term to complete the win.
Defender Niamh McLaughlin (33 disposals, 506 metres gained) and Rowbottom (36 disposals, one goal) were busy for Gold Coast (4-2), while Hatchard and Havana Harris scored two majors each.
The loss kept the Bombers (0-6) winless, although midfielder Madison Prespakis was outstanding with a game-high 38 disposals.
AAP
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