GWS Giants thump Gold Coast but expansion clubs under pressure

Tom Naghten

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GWS Giants thump Gold Coast but expansion clubs under pressure image

The competition's two youngest clubs met at Spotless Stadium on Saturday afternoon and there might have been a few concerned faces at AFL House with the way things panned out.

It was GWS who ran out 108-point winners to heap more misery on the struggling Suns.

Stuart Dew's side slipped to their sixth loss on the bounce in what must be a worry for Gil and co.

Gold Coast are yet to play finals since joining the competition in 2011, and looking at their list, it's hard to see that changing anytime soon.

MORE: Geelong v North Melbourne: Aaron Black suffers nasty leg injury

Star forward and captain Tom Lynch is off contract at the end of the season and is fielding plenty of big-money offers from his native Victoria.

18-goal losses are hardly going to convince the 25-year-old to hang around.

Saturday's drubbing saw the Suns notch up their second lowest total in history, as well as lose their 19th straight quarter.

They also became the first side to record zero marks inside 50 since the stat started being taken in 1999.

The Giants did as they pleased after quarter time, with five players having more than 30 possessions.

Jeremy Cameron kicked six goals while Josh Kelly racked up 40 disposals and two goals as the Suns did their best witches hat impressions.

The win gives Leon Cameron's side their second straight win after dropping the four prior to last week's win over the Crows in Adelaide.

But while things may be back on track on the field, the swathes of empty seats at Spotless stuck out like a sore thumb.

The official figure given was 7,131.

It may be a long weekend and Gold Coast were unlikely to get the fans racing through the turnstiles, but that number would have to be a concern.

The disappointing attendance and limp Suns performance certainly had some viewers questioning whether the expansion clubs have a future.


 


 


 


 


 


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Tom Naghten

Tom Naghten Photo

Tom Naghten is a senior editor at The Sporting News Australia where he's been part of the team since 2017. He predominantly covers boxing and MMA. In his spare time, he likes to watch Robbie Ahmat's goal against the Kangaroos at the SCG in 2000.