GOLD COASTÂ
3.0Â Â Â 6.1 Â Â Â 13.3 Â Â Â 17.6Â Â Â (108)Â
CARLTONÂ
2.4Â Â Â 6.6 Â Â Â 7.7 Â Â Â 12.10Â Â Â (82) Â Â
GOALS
Gold Coast: Lynch 7, Matera 3, Wright 3, Ablett, Bowes, Lyons, Lemmens.Â
Carlton: Silvagni 3, Casboult 3, Curnow, Pickett, Weitering, Simpson, Rowe, Fisher. Â
BEST
Gold Coast: Lynch, Matera, Ablett, Martin, Hall, Saad, Harbrow, Fiorini.
Carlton: Murphy, Curnow, Docherty, Simpson, Gibbs, CasboultÂ
UMPIRES
Margetts, Hosking, Fisher. Â Â
The more things change, the more they stay the same. For a half of football on Saturday night at Etihad Stadium, a Gold Coast captain was clearly best afield in a sea of kids and toilers. But whereas for so long it had been Gary Ablett who had to carry a heavy load, this time it was Tom Lynch. The brilliant co-captain troubled Carlton from the outset, kicking five first-half goals to help keep his side in the game before leading the way in a decisive third quarter to secure the Suns' second win in a row, and further relieve the pressure on veteran coach Rodney Eade.
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Suns too good for Carlton in Melbourne
A spiteful end to the second quarter spurred the Gold Coast Suns on as they downed the Carlton Blues with a second-half surge to win 17.6.108 to 12.10.82.
Not that Ablett's efforts should be ignored. After an indifferent first half in which he was booed by Blues fans, the veteran star again showed he has plenty to offer with an outstanding third term, Â which featured six clearances, followed by a long-range sealer early in the final term. It was on the back of his efforts that Gold Coast slammed home seven third quarter goals to one, setting up a match winning 32-point lead at the final change.
While the Blues showed six days earlier against Essendon that they will be hard to counter in heavy conditions, the fast track at Docklands played into the Suns' hands. Carlton's limitations were highlighted when Harrison Macreadie kicked the ball straight to Sun Jarryd Lyons deep in defence in the third term, leading to another Gold Coast goal and deflating hopes of a Blues resistance. By midway through the final quarter Carlton looked broken, although a late flurry from Levi Casboult preserved respectability on the scoreboard. There were some late concerns for Gold Coast, though, with co-captain Steven May and recruit Michael Barlow  finishing the game with suspected hamstring issues.
![Hot shot: Tom Lynch kicked seven goals for Gold Coast in their win over Carlton.](/web/20170426205116im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/l/n/c/a/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gvllew.png/1492261369619.jpg)
Lynch and Ablett are the drawcards, but the second half romp again was another showcase of the talented if inconsistent underbelly that could prove to be the making of Gold Coast this year. Small forward Brandon Matera backed up his six-goal showing in last weekend's breakthrough win over Hawthorn with another scintillating display, while Jarrod Harbrow, Jack Martin and Adam Saad were all influential. The player who perhaps best embodied the momentum swing was key forward Peter Wright, who after barely touching the ball in the first half capitalised in the second half as Carlton tried in vain to halt Lynch.
The Blues had started Jacob Weitering forward despite the ominous presence of the Suns' tall targets. It worked early, with the swingman kicking the game's first goal. But Lynch was classes above his first-half opponent Sam Rowe, and by the third term both Weitering and Lachie Plowman had stints on the Gold Coast forward, who ended with 19 disposals, 12 marks and seven goals.
![MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 15: Gary Ablett of the Suns handballs during the round four AFL match between the Carlton ...](/web/20170426205116im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/l/m/l/j/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gvllew.png/1492261369619.jpg)
With captain Marc Murphy prolific, Carlton controlled large portions of the first term as the Suns struggled to work their way through the Blues' defensive structures. But Carlton were wasteful in front of goal. That was in contrast to the visitors, or more to the point – Lynch, who sunk both of his set shots before the first break. It was clear that his agility was going to cause problems for Rowe, especially when the Suns moved the ball quickly, as happened when the fleet of foot Aaron Hall delivered the ball lace out for Lynch's second. Not that Hall would have it all his own way in the opening stanza. He was brought down from behind by first-gamer Zac Fisher, whose eagerness was apparent, and brought a massive applause from the Carlton-friendly crowd.
But the hard work of Fisher – who slotted a beautiful snap from the pocket shortly after quarter-time – and his fellow youngsters was only going to take the Blues so far in the face of a Lynch onslaught. By the 14-minute mark of the second quarter he had five goals. While the Blues had laid 40 tackles to the Suns' 19 at half-time, the hosts were clinging to a five-point lead after Wright missed a set shot with the final kick of the first half, which was followed by a melee that will likely  boost  AFL coffers.
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