1. Swallow returns
Some players have rotten runs with injuries. And then, there's David Swallow. Today signalled the first time Gold Coast's 2014 club champion had taken the field in an AFL match since round 15, 2015. That's 630 days between drinks for the 2010 No.1 draft pick. Swallow has had to overcome more than most in his career, but his stats against the GIANTS were solid. The 24-year-old worked his way into the game after half time to finish with 21 touches, 11 of them contested.
2. Expansive gap
Comparisons between the Suns and GIANTS are inevitable. Considering Gold Coast entered the league in 2011 and GWS are playing their sixth season, it is no longer accurate to call them "expansion clubs". But the result at Spotless Stadium highlighted a gaping gulf in class between the AFL's two newest franchises. These two teams may have been set up at similar times, but their trajectories are now completely different. GWS's final score of 160 was their biggest ever. The final margin of 102 points was their largest win. The GIANTS are a force. The Suns are, erm, not.
3. Ablett first-half shocker
This might be the first time the words "Gary Ablett" and "awful" have appeared in the same sentence. Let's be clear: We're talking about a two-time premiership hero who normally has leather poisoning. But the Suns skipper stunk it up in the first half at Spotless Stadium. This was a stench more unbearable than raw sewage. Think bin juice, grandpa's slippers, wet dog – the works. He didn't touch the footy until late in the first term. Midway through the second, he had two touches. One of them was a handball that didn't hit a target. A late flurry saw him reach eight by the long break.
4. Suns' slow starts
In round one, Gold Coast conceded the first seven majors and trailed by as much as 47 points in the first half against the Brisbane Lions. On Saturday, they leaked seven in the opening quarter. It's a few too many. The Suns were behind by more than 50 points in the second term against GWS before they rallied in the shadows of half-time to win the quarter. But being behind by so much so early changes the complexion of the game. They're doing things the hard way.
5. Greene machine
Playing game 100, GIANTS forward Toby Greene knew how to celebrate. He might not be in the club's most silky player, but Greene was in everything early and was a human cannonball around the contests. Greene finished with five goals and 22 possessions while his partner in crime up forward, Steve Johnson booted three majors to take his career tally 499. It's not hard to see why these two call themselves the Krakouer brothers.
