GOLD Coast has seen this script before – it's just looking for a different outcome this time.
When the Suns host Collingwood at Heritage Bank Stadium on Saturday, it will add another chapter to a rivalry that has delivered some unexpected gold over the past decade.
The Magpies are already responsible for the two largest home crowds at Gold Coast's home ground, and that will become three in what is expected to be a sellout this time around.
The ground record of 24,032 set in 2014 could be toppled.
While that game was responsible for one of the great days in Gold Coast's history, it also presented one of the ultimate Sliding Doors (to steal something from an AFL.com.au colleague) moment of any club in the past 10 years.
The Suns secured one of the best wins in club history, holding on by five points over Nathan Buckley's men, despite having no players on the bench for the final quarter.
Trent McKenzie (hamstring), Charlie Dixon (calf) and Sean Lemmens (head) did not see the game out.
But of course, that wasn't the story of the night.
Gary Ablett's dislocated shoulder in the third quarter under the weight of a Brent Macaffer tackle arguably changed the immediate future of the club.
After the heroic victory that night, Gold Coast lost six of its final seven matches to plummet from equal sixth to 12th.
What looked like a debut finals appearance disappeared, as did the coaching career of inaugural mentor Guy McKenna.
Twelve months earlier came another win for the Suns, a breakthrough of sorts, when Ablett inspired the young upstarts to a seven-point triumph in front of 19,721 fans – the fifth highest crowd at Carrara.
Since Gold Coast's success in 2013 and 2014, Collingwood has largely had its way, winning the next six games and eight of the past nine matches.
The Suns love the fixture draw they've got in 2023, with the mid-season contest during school holidays ensuring the Magpie Army comes to town to swell an already excited local attendance.
Last year it was Craig McRae's team that went home with the four premiership points, in the midst of its 12-game winning streak and a result that ended up cruelling the home team's finals chances.
Down by 14 points inside the final 10 minutes, goals to Josh Daicos, Brody Mihocek and Will Hoskin-Elliott got them over the line in another trademark tight triumph.
For such a one-sided head-to-head scoreline – the Pies lead 10-3 – this contest has thrown up some drama.
Saturday promises to do the same, with the Magpies out to solidify a cushion in the top two and Gold Coast desperate to stay in touch with the top eight.
Darcy Moore up against Ben King, schoolmates Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson and Nick Daicos squaring off in the middle of the ground and Sam Collins trying to slow down Mihocek.
The promise is there, perhaps in front of the biggest crowd ever seen at home for the Suns, and now it's over to the players.
