OPTUS STADIUM -- Gold Coast began the night having never played an AFL final. They ended it by recording the most important win in club history, upsetting Fremantle on the road by a solitary point in one of the greatest elimination finals you'll ever witness.
In front of 57,507 fans -- the largest crowd the Suns had ever played in front of -- Damien Hardwick's squad showed maturity, composure, and class, then rose late to an enormous Dockers challenge. The hero? Games record holder for the club, David Swallow, who broke a tie in the score with his winning point in the final 10 seconds of the game.
Gold Coast will now face cross-town rival Brisbane in an enthralling semifinal showdown, one the Lions will contest without two-time Brownlow Medal winner Lachie Neale.
Here are four things we learned from the game:
These Suns don't -- and won't -- wilt in September
Would Gold Coast be overawed by the occasion of playing the club's first final in front of a hostile road crowd? Would they crumble under the pressure of September expectation? These were legitimate questions posed in footy circles since the conclusion of the home and away season two weeks ago, but questions which were unequivocally answered at Optus Stadium.
The Suns looked anything but a side that had never faced the intensity of a high-stakes final. Damien Hardwick's team brought the pressure from the opening minutes, hassling and harassing the Dockers into error and playing brave, bold football when attacking. There were no passengers. Nobody was coming along for the ride. This club was ready to scrap, claw, and do whatever it took to win its first footy final.
It was an incredibly mature performance from the Suns, one of quiet confidence. The scoreboard reward came in a scintillating seven-goal second term -- led by young gun Bailey Humphrey with three majors -- that blew the margin out to 25 points. But every time the Dockers edged closer, and even when they hit the front, Gold Coast found a way to respond.
First it was Jy Farrar, slotting a goal 30 seconds into the final term after Fremantle had cut the margin to 15 points. Then it was swingman Mac Andrew tying things up in the final two minutes, before Swallow justified that controversial selection call with the most valuable point ever recorded in Suns history. In many ways, it was a performance of a finals veteran side, ala Collingwood on Thursday night or Geelong 24 hours earlier.
The Suns now face familiar foe Brisbane in a mouthwatering QClash semifinal at the Gabba. Should they find a way to win it, things from a hostility standpoint will ratchet up another notch with Collingwood at the MCG waiting in a preliminary final. But can you really write this Suns side off?!
Defensive woes cost the Dockers ... it needs to be seriously addressed
On paper, Fremantle's defense is as imposing as it gets. Alex Pearce. Luke Ryan. Brennan Cox. Jordan Clark. The list goes on. But throughout the year, the Dockers have only been a middling defensive unit, according to Champion Data.
Justin Longmuir's team ranked seventh throughout the home and away season for points conceded, ninth for points against from stoppages, and eighth for points against from turnover, a metric each of the last 10 premiers have ranked top six in. But it was the opposition scores per inside 50 that proved the Dockers' downfall on Saturday evening, particularly in a one-sided first half that put them well and truly behind the eight-ball.
Every time the Suns went inside forward 50, they looked like scoring. And they often did. Gold Coast had 25 inside 50s in the first half and scored from 17 of them. It was a ludicrous number, especially in a knockout final. They ended the night with 49 entries into their attacking arc and 25 scores.
Pearce and co. enjoyed their moments, particularly in the second half, and at times they managed to outwork the Suns forwards, but the ease in which they were able to score when attacking has to have set off alarm bells for Justin Longmuir and his assistants. It's an area that will need serious addressing this off-season.
Anderson, Rowell might be the best one-two midfield punch in the league
Of course, neither Suns skipper Noah Anderson nor running mate Matt Rowell had ever played an AFL final before Saturday evening, but did anyone seriously question whether the dynamic midfield duo, fresh off All-Australian selection, would rise to the occasion? Anderson and Rowell made a convincing case they're the best midfield pair in the competition, dominating at the contest and on the spread as the Suns made history in the west.
Anderson and Rowell were arguably the two best performers in the elimination final. No two players had more score involvements. No two players lifted more when their respective numbers were called. The star midfield pair combined for 66 disposals, 25 contested possessions, 10 clearances, and 19 inside 50s, justifying why they're two of the favourites to take out this year's Brownlow Medal.
But it wasn't just the counting numbers. Anderson's biggest moment of the game might have been his inspirational goal-saving, run-down tackle on Michael Frederick late in the first half when the score was locked at 32 apiece.
And then there's Rowell, playing through a nasty gash on his cheek, wiping the blood away at every opportunity and still crashing every pack as if his life depended on it.
Fremantle duo Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw hardly disgraced themselves, tallying similar numbers by the final siren. But the influence and destructiveness of the Anderson-Rowell partnership makes them such a deadly combination, one which stands up in September. Is it now the best in the league?
Suns-Dockers no longer footy humour
For years, Fremantle vs. Gold Coast has been the common example used in footy circles to describe any boring, meaningless game on the AFL fixture. The "Who Cares Cup", if you will. But Saturday evening's engrossing thriller between the two clubs in drizzly, tough conditions had it all. Tension. Hostility. Intensity. Nail-biting moments, and a finish to top all finishes.
This game didn't just totally contradict the old Dockers-Suns misnomer, it was a showcase of why both sides are set up well for success.
Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking: this isn't the first time Suns, Dockers positivity for the future has been claimed. However, this time there's real substance behind it ... and for both clubs. This season, these two teams combined for 32 wins, both made finals, and both made extraordinary strides from the year prior. The Suns aren't finished yet.
Sure the Dockers fell agonizingly short, but we cannot gloss over the fact Fremantle was the fourth-youngest side in 2025. With that said, up until four hours ago, Gold Coast had never contested an AFL final. Not bad going from either, hey?
Both clubs have talented, young midfield cores, as demonstrated throughout the elimination final. Both clubs have imposing backlines, neither of which has been close to full strength in 2025. Both clubs have a plethora of key position stocks as well as dynamic, running halfbacks. But most importantly, both clubs have now learned how to win consistently. Both of these clubs are going places.