Suns in AFLW finals race after edging Cats

Gold Coast are firmly in contention for an unlikely AFLW finals berth after beating Geelong by 11 points at Metricon Stadium.

Reigning wooden spooners after going winless last season, the Suns continued their rise up the ladder with a clinical performance on Friday night.

Gold Coast recovered from a slow start, overcoming a slight quarter-time deficit to run over the top of the Cats, 7.7 (49) to 6.2 (38).

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It is the Suns' biggest score in their short history, going past the 7.4 (46) they kicked in round two.

The Suns' third win of 2022 already makes it their most successful campaign, going past the two-win, one-draw season in 2020.

Star Alison Drennan was outstanding, breaking her own record for most possessions by a Suns player in an AFLW game to finish with 30.

Drennan set the tone in the midfield as the Suns dominated clearances 36-20.

Gold Coast broke the game open in the third term, slotting through three goals to take an unassailable 24-point lead into the final change.

The Suns played their home deck exceptionally, running Geelong ragged with an exciting and attacking game style.

Tori Groves-Little fired in her first game for almost a month, kicking two goals on return from a concussion suffered in round two.

For Geelong, forwards Phoebe McWilliams and Chloe Scheer made the most of their limited opportunities to slot two goals each.

Like Gold Coast, Geelong have seriously improved this season, but still only have one win to show from the first six rounds.

The Cats broke their drought with a last-gasp victory over the Eagles last week.

Gold Coast, who only sit outside the top-six on percentage, will back up on Thursday night with an intriguing QClash against the