Can Gary Ablett get any better? You seemingly ask it every week and the little champion continues to amaze. With his team trailing entering the fourth quarter, Ablett simply took over. He kicked three goals in the first 15 minutes of the term (four for the match), put his team in front, lifted the crowd and almost single-handedly carried it over the line. Throw in 34 disposals (19 contested) and nine clearances for good measure – all in a night's work.
2. Finishing full of running
During its first two seasons in the AFL, Gold Coast struggled to run out games, but not on Saturday night. Former Adelaide fitness guru Stephen Schwerdt came on board during the off-season and has made an immediate impact. The Suns trailed by 19 points at half-time, reduced it to nine at the last change, and careered home with seven goals to three. Last season the Suns won just nine of 44 quarters after half-time, and just 20 off 88 after the main break in two years.
3. The Bomb exploding in the fourth
The much-anticipated debut of Gold Coast's Jaeger O'Meara started slowly but finished with a bang. The 19-year-old West Australian barely saw the ball in the first half, with his most notable involvement a tentative set shot from 30m out that sprayed to the right for a behind. O'Meara showed his first sign of class in the third term with his first career goal courtesy of a beautiful shark and right foot snap. After just five touches in three quarters he was moved into the middle with devastating results - seven possessions and a win.
4. Fortress Metricon?
After losing its first 17 matches at home, Gold Coast is starting to make Metricon a genuine home ground advantage. The Suns started by defeating fellow newbies GWS late last year, then backed up with the remarkable round 22 upset of Carlton and first-up in 2013, a come-from-behind win over the Saints. The Gold Coast public came out to support their team with over 13,000 fans a good turnout.
5. No tall defenders, no worries
With Sam Fisher (leg) and 2012 All Australian Sean Dempster (hamstring) already missing through injury, the Saints came in light-on for tall defenders. When youngster Tom Simpkin was a late withdrawal, it forced Scott Watters to again reshuffle his patchwork back six. But they didn't let their coach down. With Rhys Stanley a solid citizen all night, James Gwilt and Jason Blake – as he has for much of his career – played above their height and kept the Suns' bigs quiet.
