Take a look at the AFL ladder. Besides the odd disparity in the ‘games played’ column there is something special for Queensland football in the ‘losses’ column. Among four unbeaten sides are the Brisbane Lions and the Gold Coast Suns.
It’s a first in the 15 years since the birth of the Suns gave Queensland two AFL sides.
And although it’s a curious look, with Hawthorn 4-0 at the top of the table from Adelaide and Brisbane at 3-0 and Gold Coast at 2-0, more significant is the fact that only once previously have the Lions and the Suns both opened the season even one win.
That was in 2022 when Brisbane beat Port Adelaide by 11 points at the Gabba and Gold Coast beat West Coast by 27 points in Perth.
More significant is the fact that the Suns, perennial easybeats ‘on the road’ in previous years, are the only side unbeaten away from home after knocking off West Coast in Perth and Melbourne at the MCG. And by 87 points and 58 points respectively.
Prior to 2025, the Suns had a 52-2-79 record at People First Stadium, and had gone 37-134 at other venues. And six of those 37 wins were in Queensland – three at the Gabba and three in Cairns.
Now, with premiership Damien Hardwick into his second season at the helm, the Suns have won their last four interstate games, having accounted for Essendon by one point at Docklands in Round 22 last year and Richmond at the MCG by 28 points in Round 24.
Doubters will note they’ve only beaten sides that finished 11th, 18th, 16th and 14th last year, but Saturday’s MCG demolition of a Melbourne side desperate to atone for a humiliating 59-point loss to North Melbourne, who had finished 17th last year, was arguably the Suns’ best interstate win ever.
Significantly, too, it was earned by a side which included eight Queenslanders – 19-year-olds Jed Walter, Will Graham and Ethan Read, 20-year-old Jake Rogers, 21-year-old Bodhi Uwland, 22-year-old Sam Closehy and 23-year-old Conor Budarick, plus 29-year-old Lachie Weller.
It was only the third time the 2023 Academy graduates of Walter, Graham, Read and Rogers had played together – and the first time the four first-round draft picks have won together.
Walter and Read enjoyed what has been a rarity at the Suns – a win in their first game at the MCG – as Read, looking every bit a star in the making, had seven possessions and a game, and Watler, playing his first game of the year, had 12 possessions and a goal.
Graham helped himself to 16 possessions and an equal career-best two goals, while Rogers was a liveware after coming off the substitute’s bench, picking up nine possessions in 25% game time.
Brisbane were similarly impressive in the wet at the Gabba on Saturday night when they beat 2024 preliminary finalists Geelong by nine points in a low-scoring affair after trailing by 32 points late in the second quarter.
The defending premiers, 3-0 this year after starting 0-3 last year, fielded nine Queenslanders who between them picked up 18 votes in the Coaches Association Player of the Year Award.
At the top of the list was Will Ashcroft, who picked up seven votes for his career-best 33 possessions, five clearances, a goal and a goal assist.
It was the fifth 30-possession game of his 34-game career as he was ranked second only to teammate Hugh McCluggage by the coaches.
Harris Andrews and Jack Payne, the tall timbers in a Brisbane defence which did a sterling job overall, picked up five votes apiece, while ageless ex-skipper Dayne Zorko received one vote. He had 28 possessions, five clearances and a goal.
But arguably the biggest roar at the Gabba was reserved for ‘super-sub’ Bruce Reville.
Injected into the game after halftime to replace the injured Kai Lohmann, Reville only had seven possessions, one goal and one goal assist from 32% game time, but was pivotal in his team’s resurgence.
Especially sweet were his dash through the middle of the ground before a pin-point pass to Logan Morris for a goal, and his own long running shot to put the home side in front for the first time. It was all class.
In other standout Queensland performances over the weekend, Ben Keays had 20 possessions and kicked two goals in Adelaide’s six-goal home win over North Melbourne, and Oskar Baker, in his second game of the year for the Dogs, was a real livewire with 14 possessions.
Corey Wagner, who has made a bright start to the 2025 season, was a late withdrawal from the Fremantle side ahead of the WA derby through injury.
SUBMITTED BY PETER BLUCHER