Gold Coast 5.2 9.5 12.6 13.6 (84)
Greater Western Sydney 4.2 8.5 11.6 14.8 (92)
GOALS - Gold Coast Lynch 3 Matera 2 Wright 2 Davis 2 Nicholls Davis Hallahan Garlett. GWS: Cameron 4 Johnson 2 Patton 2  Greene 2 Smith Ward Lobb.
BEST - Gold Coast: May Lynch Matera Martin Thompson Garlett. GWS: Coniglio Williams Scully Patton Johnson Greene.
INJURIES - Gold Coast: Sexton (hamstring); Nicholls (knee). GWS: Nil. Umpires: Deboy Chamberlain Meredith.
Crowd:Â 9108Â at Metricon Stadium.
The last time the Gold Coast Suns and Greater Western Sydney met, in round eight, much discussion centred around the progressions of the two expansion clubs. It looked terribly stark at the time: the Giants tore away with the match to win by 91 points, Jeremy Cameron kicking seven goals.
![Gold Coast's Brandon Matera is put under intense pressure.](/web/20161028071711im_/http://www.canberratimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/m/n/l/r/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gqmnnh.png/1470475928360.jpg)
Fast forward to Round 20, though, and things don't look anywhere near so clear-cut. The Giants sit inside the top four and are having a big tilt at a maiden premiership. The Suns went into the match with just six wins after another injury-cruelled season. But they're building towards a very promising 2017.
And, with a second-string midfield, they nearly pulled off a giant upset here, running the visitors to the wire. It took a brilliant last quarter from Cameron, with a snap for his fourth goal giving GWS a two-point lead with five minutes to play, to all but sink the Suns. Toby Greene drove home the killer blow a minute later.
![Hair-raising pressure: Matt Shaw is tackled.](/web/20161028071711im_/http://www.canberratimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/m/n/n/c/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gqmnnh.png/1470475928360.jpg)
It was a brilliant match, full of sparkling individual performances by two sides full of extraordinary talent, even despite the Suns' long injury list. The football was super-fast, marked by lightning-quick transitions from end to end, but it was also hard, with Suns Alex Sexton and Tom Nicholls both taking heavy knocks.
The Giants have their concerns too, with Cameron going down clutching a hip in the third quarter. But he was back on the ground shortly after, taking a brilliant mark early in the last quarter to square the scores for the seventh time in the match. It was answered at the other end by Tom Lynch, with his fourth.
Lynch was hit by Jarrod Garlett, who played his best game for the Suns, tackling maniacally and showing sublime skills. Brandon Matera was in the chain, too, a constant tease who  thrilled with both his audacity and renewed commitment to the contest.
Steering the ship from the back was Steven May, Â the best player on the ground, against plenty of competition from both sides. Sublime performers for the Giants included Stephen Coniglio, the tireless Tom Scully, Jon Patton and Steve Johnson, a clutch players.
![Sun Callum Ah Chee and Nathan Wilson compete for the football.](/web/20161028071711im_/http://www.canberratimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/m/n/n/a/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gqmnnh.png/1470475928360.jpg)
But the Suns showed, again, that they'll be a force when they have a full midfield complement to choose from. Their bookends – May and Lynch – are terrific, they have developed their leadership in Gary Ablett's absence, and their  second-stringers have taken ownership of their destinies.
They began the match like a side determined to prove a point to a younger brother, with Tom Lynch getting his side on the board within 30 seconds of the opening bounce. Tom Nicholls followed from a strong contested mark a few minutes later, but was soon hobbling with a knee injury.Â
That meant Shane Mumford was able to give his midfielders an armchair ride from the middle, with the Giants dominating hit-outs 59-28, winning the clearances 45-32, and the stoppages 34-19. That was pretty much the difference between the two sides, apart from the extra midfield silk provided by Coniglio, Lachie Whitfield and Scully.Â
And, of course, there was Cameron. As good as Lynch was at the other end, Cameron was the one sliding forward to mark in front of Thompson early in the last quarter, and the one to snatch a goal out of nothing in the dying moments. If the Giants make the big dance, he could be the difference there too.