Suns fade out in Mackay

Loss to Geelong puts AFLW playoff hopes at risk

SUNS coach David Lake is confident “not all is lost” following their 20-point defeat by the Geelong Cats in Mackay last night.

The 5.8 (38) to 2.6 (18) loss leaves the Sun precariously placed sixth on the AFLW Conference A ladder with matches against West Coast, Adelaide and Melbourne to come in the run home.

Scoring only two points in the second half, the Suns ran out of legs late and afforded the Cats four unanswered goals as the blue and white hoops made it two wins in a row.

“We’re still around the money,” Lake said.

“If you bank one tonight, you’re still around the mark. The next three weeks become extremely important.”

Slipping and sliding around in 70 per cent humidity, it was

Geelong who did all of the attacking during the first quarter in front of a 2788-strong crowd at Great Barrier Reef arena.

Key forward Phoebe Williams eventually broke the deadlock with the first goal of the game early after out marking defender Jade Pregelj.

Midfielder Jacqui Yorston sneaked forward and levelled the scores at nine apiece six minutes into the second quarter.

Fellow onballer Jamie Stanton was next to make her way on to the scoresheet after being stationed inside 50 for large parts of the first half.

A lunging Stanton marked a Kalinda Howarth inbound kick and immediately sprung to her feet as unsuspecting defenders remained on their haunches.

Smelling blood, the Suns continued to attack but a costly miss from Kate Surman late meant the Suns maintained a six-point lead at the half.

It was the Cats who forged ahead in the third quarter as their superior running power and spread from the contest resulted in goals to Phoebe

McWilliams and Georgia Clarke. The Suns will also be made to rue a late brain fade as cult hero Rocky Cranston rolled through the Cats’ fourth after the three-quarter-time siren sounded.

Former elite basketballer Anna Teague kicked the last major of the game to give the Cats a game-high lead of 19 points as the Suns ran out of speed and dare.

Howarth continued her sensational form early, finishing with 18 disposals.