SUNS’ GUNS START TO FIRE
Coach warns best is to come after first victory
SUNS coach David Lake has warned that some of his “potent” attacking weapons are yet to be revealed after the club landed AFLW history against Richmond.
One week after taking it up to the more fancied Greater Western Sydney, the Suns decisively beat the Tigers for three quarters before surviving a late scare to run out 5.3 (33)-2.10 (22) winners at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.
With four goal kickers, Lake lauded his side’s effort and warned the league that his team was starting to unlock their scoring potential.
“Some of those girls are pretty potent,” he said.
“I don’t think we’ve exposed all of our goal kickers yet.”
Suns co-captain Leah Kaslar, who was one of her side’s best, said her team earned the emphatic win.
“My smile says it all,” 34year-old Kaslar said.
“Everyone stepped up and did their bit so I’m really proud.
“We saw people in different positions that maybe haven’t stood up like that before.”
Neither side could be split in a tightly contested first quarter as both expansion clubs visibly carried frustration from losses last week into the first 15 minutes.
Midfielder Jamie Stanton struck first for the Suns in her 25th AFLW game.
Half forward Paige Parker won a free kick on the edge of the square and had the vision to spot her teammate charging into space.
Former Collingwood sharp shooter Christina Bernardi levelled things shortly after, swooping on a loose ball that managed to clear both Suns defenders and roll towards the goal square.
Just six years after acting as a getaway driver in a bank robbery, Richmond livewire Tayla Stahl wrote another chapter in football’s ultimate redemption story when she kicked the Tigers’ second and the first of her AFLW career.
Stahl very nearly had a second within five minutes of play but was denied a goal by a stray Suns hand on the goal line.
In front of a 7071 home crowd at Metricon Stadium, it was the Suns who shone early in the second, with Brittany Perry establishing her position as one of the league’s most dangerous forwards and kicking the Suns third.
Leading by 17 points, the Suns appeared to put the cue in the rack late as Richmond did all the attacking but without much reward.
A late run-down tackle by Tiarna Ernst sealed the game as the siren sounded and crowned the Suns 33-22 winners.