Photo: HANDOUT/World Surf LeagueStephanie Gilmore and the dozen local hopes have had their Gold Coast Pro campaigns paused for at least three days after conditions at Burleigh Heads fell flat All articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxInteractive Crosswords Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueMen's round-of-32 and women's round-of-16 heats won't be contested until at least Thursday after officials made the Monday morning call to place competition on hold The initial plan was to assess conditions on Tuesday for a possible start but the hold was later extended until at least Thursday "There were a few waves on offer this morning which is what we expected," WSL deputy commissioner Renato Hickel said "We are expecting this trend to continue for the coming days and even get a bit smaller and with another great-looking swell expected for the end of the week we will come back on Thursday and make another call for competition to potentially resume The Gold Coast Pro is on hold until at least Thursday (HANDOUT/World Surf League)"The swell for the weekend looks great so we are looking forward to riding some great waves here at Burleigh Heads." Back on the Championship Tour for the first time since 2019 the Gold Coast stop produced an eventful opening weekend that saw Jack Robinson bundled out and veterans Julian Wilson and Gilmore progress in their top-level returns They are two of 12 Australian hopes still alive Molly Picklum and Sally Fitzgibbons all impressive in the opening round on Saturday will face world champion Caity Simmers when action resumes then scored a 15.47 in Sunday's elimination round to knock out compatriot Robinson slated to face Brazil's series leader Italo Ferreira whose aerial prowess makes him tough to stop on the Queensland coast "I just really wanted the opportunity to get that match-up .. 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crosswords Brisbane has stormed to the top of the competition table with a 17-point QClash victory over Gold Coast at a sold-out Gabba on Sunday night Billed as the most anticipated match of their 28-game rivalry with the Lions playing their most complete game of 2025 in winning 9.12 (64) to 7.7 (49) It was their 12th win from the past 13 contests against the SUNS and moves them to a 7-1 record so far this year ahead of matches against North Melbourne and Melbourne in the next fortnight the premier put the game away with a powerful five-goals-to-one third quarter Gold Coast kicked the final three goals of the match but the scoreboard flattered the SUNS in the end The Lions overwhelmed their Little Brother in front of a record QClash crowd of 33,612 dominating the clearances (47-28) to provide great field position with 56 inside-50s to just 40 Hugh McCluggage (30 disposals and eight clearances) and Lachie Neale (25 and 10) dominated the midfield battle in slippery conditions Josh Dunkley (26) kept Matt Rowell to 16 disposals and just one clearance while SUNS skipper Noah Anderson (27) was down on his high standards With Sam Day (hamstring) injured in the first quarter and Logan Morris (calf) unable to play Charlie Cameron returned to form in the smaller forward line with three goals Cameron had not kicked a goal for the previous three matches but broke the drought with two in 60 seconds in the second term The first quarter had all the intensity you’d hope for from two top four teams Although Brisbane had the better of the stoppage battle and pumped the ball inside 50 regularly giving the home team little time or space for clean disposals Dashing winger Lachie Weller was subbed out of the match for the SUNS in the first quarter with a hamstring injury After Jarrod Berry kicked a goal on the quarter-time siren to give the Lions the lead they rattled on three quickly early in the second quarter to extend to a 22-point buffer evening things up around the contest on the back of a huge Touk Miller quarter Mac Andrew was magnificent in defeat for the SUNS but Damien Hardwick’s team has a lot to work on ahead of a fortnight in Darwin that includes matches against the Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn Will Ashcroft won the Marcus Ashcroft Medal as the best player afield with 34 disposals and nine clearances Both teams hamstrung in the opening termAfter 155 games in 14 seasons for Gold Coast this was the first time Sam Day would run out against the SUNS Day injured his hamstring just before the first change and was immediately subbed by Will McLachlan leaving the Lions one tall – and their back-up ruckman – short in the front half of the ground Gold Coast had similar problems of their own with dashing winger Lachie Weller suffering the same hamstring fate during the opening term and being replaced by Jake Rogers BRISBANE        1.4    4.8    9.9    9.12 (64)GOLD COAST    1.1    3.3    4.5    7.7 (49) GOALSBrisbane: Cameron 3 Humphrey INJURIESBrisbane: Day (hamstring)Gold Coast: Weller (hamstring) SUBSTITUTESBrisbane: Will McLachlan (replaced Day during the first quarter)Gold Coast: Jake Rogers (replaced Weller during the first quarter) Crowd: 33,612 at the Gabba Zambrero will be the club’s exclusive quick service restaurant partner and will feature on the top-back of the club’s 2025 playing and training guernseys We FINALLY got the big man in to chat how he got into playing footy fatherhood and captaining a footy side through COVID as well as some childhood antics along the way two knee reconstructions and 99 games into phase #2 of his AFL career after a life-changing decision made in 48 hours seven and a half years ago The Gold Coast SUNS have revealed the club’s 2025 ANZAC Appeal Round guernsey to be worn in the Round 7 ANZAC Appeal Round match against the Sydney Swans at People First Stadium It’s a bold new era for the Gold Coast SUNS who are taking our fearless identity to the Barossa for Gather Round in 2025 Voting is now open for the Austworld Player of the Round after the QClash at the Gabba The Gold Coast SUNS' VFL side played their system to their advantage last Sunday and will be looking to again in the upcoming QClash Watch Coach Damien Hardwick's press conference after round eight’s match against Brisbane The Lions and SUNS clash in round eight of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season Mac Andrew shows why he's one of the most versatile players in the league with a brilliant major on the run Coach Damien Hardwick speaks to media in the upcoming QClash 28 this Sunday Night The SUNS will take a wealth of experience into Sunday’s VFL QClash at Brighton Homes Arena The Gold Coast SUNS would like to respectfully acknowledge all the traditional custodian groups from the Yugambeh language speaking region We acknowledge all First Nations people and Traditional Custodians of Australia’s land and waterways We pay our respects to Elders of the past to the present and those of the future as they hold the stories culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people Julian Wilson shoots into the sky during the men's Elimination Round THE Gold Coast Pro got off to a hot start over the weekend with the world’s best putting their best surfing on display at Burleigh Heads Both the Opening Rounds and Elimination Rounds have been completed with the first competitors knocked out of the draw Event wildcard Julian Wilson wound back the clock to defeat Morgan Cibilic and eliminate this year’s Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach champion Jack Robinson from the event launching a massive air reverse to post an 8.17 out of a possible 10 points “I feel like in that heat I was coming up against two of the in-form surfers from Bells,” he said so I was really happy to come out on top with that one It felt nice to land three from three then and throw in some variation with a grab It’s nice to be here again and feel at home in this very uncomfortable environment.” Lakey Peterson was a standout from the Elimination Round Peterson carried her momentum through from a fifth place at Bells Beach by defeating Bella Kenworthy and Brisa Hennessy Her sharp turns were a top match for the quick cupped out walls on offer at Burleigh Heads “This is actually my first time surfing at Burleigh so it felt good to get some more time out there and get to know the bank,” Peterson said “It felt good to open up out there and feel like I was clicking in out there and I feel like I’m my old self a bit and out of that fear zone.” A small surf and onshore wind pattern have forced the event into a holding pattern this week but competition is expected to resume this Thursday “There were a few waves on offer this morning which is what we expected,“ WSL deputy commissioner “We are expecting this trend to continue for the coming days and even get a bit smaller so we are looking forward to riding some great waves here at Burleigh Heads.” the Men’s Round of 32 and Women’s Round of 16 will hit the water World number one Gabriella Bryan will battle in form surfer Luana Silva while six-time Gold Coast winner and eight-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore will take on reigning world champion Caity Simmers Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM Men’s Round of 32 Matchups: Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM Women’s Round of 16 Matchups: Round 8 in the 2025 AFL season concludes on Sunday night with what may just be the best ever QClash as top four sides Brisbane and Gold Coast do battle at the Gabba Top spot is up for grabs for the winner and as always we have you covered with a full betting preview for the match below Also, Before You Bet will be providing free previews and betting tips for EVERY game in the 2025 AFL season, so make sure to head over to out our AFL Tips regularly to keep up to date with all of our free content Odds: Brisbane ($1.55) vs Gold Coast ($2.45) Odds and lines provided with thanks to Dabble Note that odds and lines can fluctuate throughout the week The final game of Round 8 shapes as one of the most anticipated QClashes in years with both Brisbane and Gold Coast sitting inside the top four and a spot at the top of the ladder up for grabs history suggests this might follow a familiar script The Lions have absolutely dominated this rivalry in recent years winning 11 of the past 12 meetings between the two sides Gold Coast haven’t won at the Gabba in their last nine attempts and the Lions have shown time and again that they love turning up the heat at home Brisbane took care of business in both encounters and they’ll come into this one full of confidence that they can keep that trend rolling the Suns aren’t the easybeats they used to be They’ve started 2025 in impressive fashion and they’ll be desperate to not only break their Gabba hoodoo but to make a statement that they’re a genuine top-four side beating Brisbane at home is a challenge that’s proven too big for many in recent years The Lions haven’t been flawless this season but they’ve done enough to sit comfortably near the top of the ladder and they rarely let games like this slip — especially in front of a home crowd While Gold Coast will no doubt bring intensity and try to rattle the Lions early and they know how to wrestle back momentum when it matters most physical clash with a finals-like atmosphere The Suns will push hard and might even lead at stages it feels like another QClash where the Lions do enough to pull away late and stamp their place at the top of the ladder Throughout the 2025 AFL season we’ll be putting together a fun same game multi for every match at BoomBet using their BetShare feature just click on the BoomBet BetShare button below and our same game multi selections will be added straight into your bet slip on BoomBet You can then enter how much you wish to wager John Noble 25+ Disposals – He’s been a great pickup for the Suns and comes into this one having notched up 25+ disposals in four of his last five games Dayne Zorko 25+ Disposals – Always gets himself up for the QClash matches and was enormous in both meetings with the Suns last season Jaspa Fletcher 20+ Disposals – A move to halfback this season has seen Fletcher’s disposal numbers increase dramatically He’s had 20+ in three of his last four games SGM Odds: $4.75 at BoomBet Jake has been an avid sports fanatic since he could walk but he's also got a soft spot for countless other sports Besides being a major contributor to our sports and fantasy content since 2017 Jake is our Content Manager & Editor and helps to plan and coordinate our team of writers every week He's also one of the unlucky ones that is a keen Port Adelaide and Phoenix Suns fan Editor’s note: Take care when signing up to new sports betting agencies Be sure to read all terms and conditions of any bonus offers deposit/withdrawal requirements and identification verification on each respective site as some of the information on this page may be outdated Before You Bet will do their best to keep this page up to date but takes no responsibility for any information on this page being incorrect Our team of expert horse racing analysts bring you regular horse racing tips from major horse racing meetings in Australia and internationally The highlight of the Australian horse racing calendar is the Spring Carnival and we'll be there riding every winner home with you with our free racing tips and best bets stay tuned into Before You Bet as we provide previews and AFL betting tips for every match of every round as well as coverage of the AFLW Women's competition Brownlow Medal vote predictions and a rolling Brownlow Medal leaderboard then you'll enjoy following our AFL betting tips NRL tips for every match of the 2025 NRL season The National Rugby League is the biggest rugby competition in Australia and we have previews and NRL betting tips for every game plus best bets for special events like the State of Origin NBA betting is very popular in Australia and we have free NBA betting tips all season long with our best NBA tips for the biggest games every week The Brisbane Lions VFL side have defended home turf with a late Harry Arnold goal sinking the Gold Coast SUNS by two-points at Brighton Homes Arena In a see-sawing affair, the Lions clawed their way back after a blistering SUNS start, to record their third win on the trot 14.11 (95) to 14.9 (93) with Arnold and fellow VFL-listed forward Jack Manly bagging three goals each The SUNS booted the opening five goals of the game to storm out of the gates before majors to Ty Gallop, Charlie Offermans and Brandon Ryan steadied the ship before quarter-time trailing by 12 points Keidean Coleman made a successful return to football staking claim as one of the Lions best on the day with 27 disposals He was supported well by fellow defenders Luke Beecken, who collected 25 touches and seven marks, and Tom Doedee who impressed as he continues his return from injury The Lions roared to life in the second term booting six goals with Arnold kicking the first two majors after being swung forward by VFL coach Ben Hudson Two majors to Jimmy Tunstill along with goals from Darcy Craven and Ben Thomas helped the Lions to an 18-point half-time lead. Tunstill continued his strong VFL form after two weeks in the AFL with 25 possessions and five clearances. The SUNS returned serve in the third term, booting five goals to two for the quarter leaving the game evenly poised at the final break. Manly slotted both his opportunities in the third quarter in what was a strong showing for the Youi Brisbane Lions Academy graduate. Gallop’s second opened proceedings in the final term as both sides traded blows throughout the fourth quarter. Manly’s third looked to seal the win but the SUNS answered with a goal and a minor score to lead by four-points with less than three minutes on the clock. Enter Arnold who, thanks to some swift ball movement, took a chest mark in the goal square and nailed his set shot in what would be the game winning score. Sitting on four wins and one loss for the season, the Lions now travel to Arden Street to take on North Melbourne next weekend in Round 7 Smithy's VFL action. Brisbane 14.11 (95) def Gold Coast SUNS 14.9 (93) Goals: Arnold 3, Manly 3, Tunstill 2, Gallop 2, Thomas, Ryan, Offermans, Craven Best: Doedee, Manly, Arnold, Coleman, Tunstill, Beecken The Brisbane Lions are proud to launch their 2025 Sir Doug Nicholls Round guernsey. For the 2025 season, we're asking you to vote for the Brisbane Lions player that was the ultimate MVP. The player who stood up and put forward a performance that separated them from the rest of the pack. Brisbane is still king of the Queensland hill, storming to the top of the competition table with a 17-point QClash victory over Gold Coast at a sold-out Gabba on Sunday night. Watch Brisbane’s press conference after round eight’s match against Gold Coast Will Ashcroft delivers a standout performance and shares a special moment with his dad while accepting the Marcus Ashcroft Medal The Lions and Suns clash in round eight of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season Watch the Lions celebrate their round eight win The Brisbane Lions VFL side have defended home turf with a late Harry Arnold goal sinking the Gold Coast SUNS by two-points at Brighton Homes Arena. Imagine waking up in your own luxury retreat nestled in the heart of the Sunshine Coast hinterland. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land the Yuggera and Turrbal people and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Find out what's happening in local business BRISBANE is still king of the Queensland hill storming to the top of the competition table with a 17-point QClash victory over Gold Coast at a sold-out Gabba on Sunday night LIONS V SUNS Full match details and stats It was their 12th win from the past 13 contests against the Suns and moves them to a 7-1 record so far this year ahead of matches against North Melbourne and Melbourne in the next fortnight but the scoreboard flattered the Suns in the end Callum Ah Chee nails his second goal as he takes a clever advantage while Suns skipper Noah Anderson (27) was down on his high standards Charlie Cameron kicks two vintage goals in quick succession as the home crowd gets vocal Mac Andrew was magnificent in defeat for the Suns Ashcroft wins his dad’s medalIt was destined to happen at one stage but it took Will Ashcroft just three matches against Gold Coast to win his first Marcus Ashcroft Medal – named after his father – for the best player afield Ashcroft was magnificent in the slippery conditions finishing with 34 disposals that included nine clearances He bobbed up all over the field and was the ideal link from stoppages into the front half of the ground Younger brother Levi (29 disposals) was also a standout in his first QClash Bizarre goal for Berry on the sirenWith the quarter-time siren having sounded Jarrod Berry had a set shot for goal from 53m to kick Brisbane’s first and give the home team the lead His long-range attempt landed about a metre short young Sun Bailey Humphrey was whistled for a 50m penalty after picking up some Gabba turf and throwing it towards Berry while he stood on the mark The Lions’ wingman strolled to the goalsquare to kick the home team’s first and an unexpected quarter-time lead Bailey Humphrey concedes a unique 50m penalty at the end of the first term leading to a Jarrod Berry major this was the first time Sam Day would run out against the Suns Extended highlights of the Lions and Suns clash in round eight Watch Gold Coast’s press conference after round eight’s match against Brisbane BRISBANE        1.4    4.8    9.9    9.12 (64)GOLD COAST    1.1    3.3    4.5    7.7 (49) GOALSBrisbane: Cameron 3 Humphrey INJURIESBrisbane: Day (hamstring)Gold Coast: Weller (hamstring) SUBSTITUTESBrisbane: Will McLachlan (replaced Day during the first quarter)Gold Coast: Jake Rogers (replaced Weller during the first quarter) Crowd: 33,612 at the Gabba Gold Coast Academy’s Usher on her ACL injury rehab battles and best friend Havana Harris incredible misses and more in our look back on the April action of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership season Three-time premiership coach Mick Malthouse gives host Bharat Sundaresan the rundown on how Australian football began and how it became such a significant part of Australian culture With a challenging month of away clashes ahead Fremantle needs to find a way to win on the road if it's to seriously contend in 2025 One of footy's famous rivalries will kick off the AFLW season to mark the 10th season of the competition Check out all the action from the state leagues around the country Damian Barrett and Matthew Lloyd with the latest news and opinions from Round 8 Check out all the best players from this weekend's VFL Footy Feed: Sarah Olle and Riley Beveridge with the latest news Check out the Rising Star for AFL’s Round 8 Will a hard tag from Jack Viney be the reason Harley Reid leaves the Eagles Vote now on your favourite marks from Round 8 of the Toyota AFL Premiership Season The Match Review findings for Sunday's round eight games are in In the spirit of reconciliation the AFL acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today Spot Guide: Rincon Queen, of the Coast 6 of the Heaviest Waves in the World Five Decades of Surfing, Travel and Narrative Collide in Sam George’s New Book NewsAll NewsEventsBig Wave NewsWorld Surf LeagueEnvironmentalIndustryWave PoolsPosts List Boat Get Totally Wrecked by Wave in Indonesia (Video) How To Surf Till You're 100, Brainwork: Mickey Munoz Will Surf in Gold Coast ProJulian Wilson and Sophie McCulloch are two more wildcards for the Championship Tour to deal with at Burleigh Heads The last time these Australians were on the WSL Championship Tour together was way back in 2021 But both are back as wildcards for the 2025 Gold Coast Pro Stephanie by way of an invite and Julian by winning the local trials event yesterday before the competition window opens The Gold Coast is one of the few events on tour that has a trials contest where the winner of each division gets the last wildcard in the main comp Though it’s now at Burleigh this year because of the lack of sand at Snapper Rocks the trials event went off on the new point without a hitch Julian, 36, is so eager to surf in a CT jersey again that he couldn’t wait for his 2025 Challenger Series wildcards to kick in. He won this event at firing Snapper in 2018 on a bum shoulder. Now, four years after his semi-retirement to focus on family, he's looking as spry as ever on those crisp JS boards. “I have had the privilege of winning this event and surfing in another final and I was actually getting quite emotional out there at the thought of getting another opportunity to surf at this level at this event Competing against the best surfers is what I want and I can’t believe it’s come around this quickly to get this opportunity We’re unable to load this content right now View directly on Instagram On the women’s side, Sophie McCulloch of the Sunshine Coast was the other victor. Sophie is a former CTer herself, having surfed in events before the mid-year cut in 2023 and 2024. She’s fortunately recovered from breaking her back at The Box in April 2024. She knows Burleigh well and has won a Qualifying Series event there before She's also won at a Haleiwa on the Challenger Series so expect her to swing on anything that comes through on's Burleigh sandy bottom but this one definitely takes the cake,” she said “I’m just so excited to test myself against the world’s best once again as I don’t feel I was truly surfing my best when I got my first opportunity on the CT I can get going this week and do some damage.”  Mac Andrew intercepted well and cut off numerous Brisbane attacking forays accumulating 10 marks and nine intercept possessions from his 19 disposals Four-time Marcus Ashcroft Medallist Touk Miller battled hard throughout the night and finished with 29 disposals John Noble provided his trademark run and carry while contributing with 26 disposals Vice-captain Sam Collins held firm in the key defensive post notching nine intercept possessions and 15 disposals StreetSmarts SUNS Academy graduate Bodhi Uwland stood up under pressure and was his usual tenacious self Joel Jeffrey recovered to provide some valuable intercepting and rebounding registering a team-high 629 metres gained from 20 disposals Who gets your vote for the Austworld Player of the Round Match: Brisbane vs Gold Coast Suns Date: Sunday 2025Start Time: 7:20pm (AEST)Stadium: Gabba This QClash should be a ripper as we end Sunday night with a bang at the Gabba with the Lions winning 20 of the 27 clashes so far But this is the first time we've had a QClash with Brisbane in second and Gold Coast third on the ladder the two teams having lost one and two games respectively so far this season The Lions were well beaten by Collingwood in the Easter Thursday game a short turnaround and a very good Collingwood shutdown effort it may just have been the loss the reigning premiers needed as they bounced back with a comprehensive 45-point win over St Kilda last week fired up by Lachie Neale's three goals and 31 disposals In that clash it was Brisbane's midfield doing some serious damage as Neale was joined by his midfield mates Will Ashcroft (35 possessions) and Josh Dunkley (24 possessions while Dayne Zorko (34) and Darcy Wilmot (30) also did their thing had a more mixed performance in many ways despite the 38 point margin over Sydney The Suns were coming off an 11-point loss to Richmond at Marvel and looked up against it when Sydney led by 29 with three minutes to go before half-time But two goals in a minute to Jed Walter turned the tide big time as Gold Coast piled on 12 unanswered majors to show a new-found maturity the 38-point final margin flattered Sydney as Nick Blakey scored three late junk time goals for the Swans their forward line was doing plenty of damage with Ben King nailing five goals Bailey Humphry scoring four opportunistic ones and Walter booting three for the day as Gold Coast showed some grit to fight back from a loss and adversity during the game it was defender John Noble picking up the most touches with 30 although his stats are padded by kick ins at times while most of their midfield of Touk Miller Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell – who was held to just 16 touches – didn't have huge days they'll need to be at their best to take on Brisbane's on-ball division which is humming along quite nicely so far this season we think they'll have too much in the tank for Gold Coast this time but it promises to be a superb contest and possibly the round's best match despite the epic Collingwood v Geelong clash on Saturday night Look for more possessions from Noble and maybe a big game from Charlie Cameron as he hasn't quite fired so far in 2025 and is due a big one Brisbane have won four of their last five clashes with Gold Coast and hold a commanding 20 wins overall from 27 QClash matches 2025 – 12:25pm) for Lions vs Suns on Sunday across multiple bookmakers Brisbane vs Gold Coast Suns – AFL Round 8 | 2025 Check out our Brisbane vs Gold Coast prediction now See all the Lions vs Suns odds for the AFL Round 8 match at the Gabba Match: Brisbane vs Gold Coast Suns Date: Sunday A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. This is also known as Online Behavioural Advertising. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. ABC News News HomeSport Charlie Cameron was back to his best as the Lions rolled the Suns Link copiedShareShare articleThe Brisbane Lions are top of the AFL ladder again after a 17-point win over Gold Coast in the QClash at the Gabba The Lions had all put the game to bed by three-quarter-time, easing to a 9.12 (66) to 7.7 (49) win over the Suns Follow the live blog below, keep up to date with all the latest stats in our ScoreCentre, and tune in to our live radio coverage Submit a comment or question Log in to commentLive updatesLatestOldestPinnedYesterday 2:40amSun 4 May 2025 at 2:40amAFL Sunday scoreboardLBy Luke Pentony ReactReactCopy linkYesterday 12:13pmSun 4 May 2025 at 12:13pmThat's it from the blog for round eightDBy Dean Bilton and at the end of it the Brisbane Lions sit a game clear on top of the ladder and hope you make your way back to the blog on Thursday night as Fremantle takes on Collingwood to kick off round nine 12:09pmSun 4 May 2025 at 12:09pmMatch report: Lions keep Suns at arm's length againDBy Dean Bilton Charlie Cameron has burst to life as the Brisbane Lions shot to the top of the AFL ladder and put Gold Coast in their place in a lopsided QClash sitting third with ambition to prove their mettle against the reigning premiers in driving rain and after a hard-fought first half the Lions' midfield dominated the clearances and their small forwards profited in a 9.12 (66) to 7.7 (49) Sunday night Gabba win Three late goals flattered the Suns and helped them narrowly avoid their lowest score in 28 meetings as a QClash record crowd of 33,612 gathered to watch the Lions' 12th win from these teams' past 13 meetings Will Ashcroft and Hugh McCluggage had 27 of the Lions' 47 clearances Will Ashcroft won the medal for best afield in a QClash Josh Dunkley kept Matt Rowell quiet to complete the Lions' midfield masterclass Cameron (three goals) hadn't kicked a goal in three games but had two in as many minutes in the second term thanks to some quick footwork and a handy grubber off the deck He missed two snaps he would usually swallow up but marked strongly and moved well to look back to his threatening best after a quiet start to the season The margin was just 11 points at halftime and the Suns looked ripe to push the Lions after halting the hosts' momentum and getting forward themselves But they wasted opportunities with long bombs into the Lions' defensive zone who repelled and allowed Cameron and Callum Ah Chee (three goals) to prosper A 12-clearance difference in the third term was the biggest for the Suns since 2019 and led to a five-goals-to-one quarter that ended the fight wearing their inaugural 1987 Brisbane Bears guernsey in a retro throwback jumped to first after Collingwood's loss to Geelong on Saturday ReactReactCopy linkKey EventYesterday 12:01pmSun 4 May 2025 at 12:01pmWill Ashcroft wins the Marcus Ashcroft MedalDBy Dean Bilton There's one way to win your father's approval The best on ground medal is named after former Lion Marcus and has been won tonight by current Lion Will I thought there were a couple of other Lions slightly more deserving but Will certainly had an excellent game A game-high 34 disposals and nine clearances are tough to argue with 11:52amSun 4 May 2025 at 11:52amFT: Brisbane 9.12 (66) def Gold Coast 7.7 (49)DBy Dean Bilton The Lions spent the last few minutes chipping the ball around among themselves winding down the clock and winding up the crowd But when we get to the end of the season nobody will care how it happened The Lions were comfortably the better team more mature and composed when the game was there to be won Crucially the Brisbane midfield was dominant and without the engine room firing the Suns had no platform for victory The reigning premiers are looking as strong as ever The Suns still aren't quite at that level 11:46amSun 4 May 2025 at 11:46amBen Ainsworth sneaks through another for Gold CoastDBy Dean Bilton The Suns are rescuing the margin a bit here late in the last Again King wasn't able to outmark Payne in the contest but again a Sun was lurking nearby for the crumbs Ainsworth gets out the back to make it a 24-point game 11:43amSun 4 May 2025 at 11:43amEthan Read breaks the deadlock at lastDBy Dean Bilton The giant young ruck gets a goal thanks to a crafty toepoke from three metres out The ball spilled from the marking contest and Read was clever to nudge his boot towards the falling pill Back to 30 points with five minutes to play 11:42amSun 4 May 2025 at 11:42amSix minutes to play at the GabbaDBy Dean Bilton this probably isn't the greatest advertisement for Sunday night footy 11:34amSun 4 May 2025 at 11:34amStalemate as QClash 28 peters outDBy Dean Bilton We're halfway through the last quarter now with no goals yet on the board in it who have missed a handful of gettable chances but still look entirely comfortable Yet more questions will be asked about the Suns after this one 11:29amSun 4 May 2025 at 11:29amMatt Rowell has been sent forwardDBy Dean Bilton Rowell has been blanketed by Josh Dunkley all night and has been sent forward to try to get a kick but it speaks to the work of Dunkley tonight 11:17amSun 4 May 2025 at 11:17am3QT: Brisbane 9.9 (63) leads Gold Coast 4.5 (29)DBy Dean Bilton Brisbane has made its move and surely won't look back from here The Suns have been utterly belted in the midfield tonight which doesn't happen to that Gold Coast on-ball brigade often Hugh McCluggage and the Ashcroft boys have taken their highly rated Suns opponents to the cleaners tonight It would take a six-goal turnaround in the last for the Suns now 11:13amSun 4 May 2025 at 11:13amCallum Ah Chee has three in the quarter for Brisbane!DBy Dean Bilton The Lions have upped the heat and the Suns have wilted Brisbane has made its move in this third quarter and might have kicked out to a winning lead Ah Chee's checkside set shot makes it a 34-point game 11:09amSun 4 May 2025 at 11:09amDarcy Gardiner gets a gift in the goalsquareDBy Dean Bilton Fair to say Mac Andrew doesn't agree with that call on the goal line The umpire said Andrew had a tug on Gardiner's guernsey and Andrew was the one facing the football Bailey Humphrey missed one from right in front moments earlier and now that feels like a doubly bad miss 11:02amSun 4 May 2025 at 11:02amCal Ah Chee has snapped through another one for BrisbaneDBy Dean Bilton There was a whistle in the forward 50 stoppage but Ah Chee wasn't hanging around to find out He sharked the crumb and immediately threw it on the boot while others waited and watched The clearance battle is being dominated by Brisbane and is deciding this match 10:54amSun 4 May 2025 at 10:54amBen King's first touch of the night is a goalDBy Dean Bilton but a mark in the goalsquare is just the tonic for King Going to be all about territory for the rest of the game and the Lions are holding a strong advantage in the clearances Look what happens when the Suns can win one 10:52amSun 4 May 2025 at 10:52amCharlie Cameron has three Excellent bodywork from Cameron took Powell out of the marking contest in the pocket but he still had to dive to his left to take a good mark The snap would have been tough for most players on their opposite side 10:50amSun 4 May 2025 at 10:50amCallum Ah Chee gets on the boardDBy Dean Bilton The Lions have started this term much like they started the second 10:45amSun 4 May 2025 at 10:45amBack underway at the GabbaDBy Dean Bilton The top of the ladder beckons for the winner tonight Can the Suns rise to the occasion or will the reigning champs flex some muscle again in the second half 10:27amSun 4 May 2025 at 10:27amHT: Brisbane 4.8 (32) leads Gold Coast 3.3 (21)DBy Dean Bilton but that was a more watchable second term for sure The Lions got a jump on the Suns to start the quarter piling on the goals as the rain poured down But once it dried up Gold Coast began to get some control of the ball and field position Short kicking and patient possession isn't always the Suns' MO Eleven points is a very slender margin in a game like this 10:12amSun 4 May 2025 at 10:12amJed Walter kicks another for Gold CoastDBy Dean Bilton A free kick in the marking contest earned Walter the shot but there was some lovely footy from the Suns getting the ball from half-back to deep in attack straight through the middle of the ground Walter was clearly held by Andrews and made no mistake with his set shot CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) The Bulldogs have an immediate chance to bury last week's Suncorp Stadium disappointment when they return to the venue to play the Titans on Sunday afternoon The teams will kick off the final day of Magic Round with an entertaining contest between two high-quality attacks Canterbury suffered their first loss of the season last weekend but they will return to Brisbane with a fresh mindset and a chance to instantly rebound The Bulldogs are still seeking their first Magic Round victory having lost all five matches over the years however they have won four of their past five games against the Titans Gold Coast have endured a tough time in recent weeks but there have been glimpses of brilliance in the past fortnight The Titans held double-digit leads in each of their past two games and the focus this week will be on producing an 80-minute performance Tino Fa'asuamaleaui will look to lay the platform up front while Jaylan De Groot shapes as a key attacking weapon in the Sunday afternoon sunshine Titans: Forward David Fifita has been dropped as coach Des Hasler looks to spark his side's season The suspended Jaimin Jolliffe has been replaced by Iszac Faasuamaleaui on a new-look bench also featuring Klese Haas and Josiah Pahulu The Titans have also confirmed Brock Gray's season is over after tearing his ACL last weekend Reigning Hostplus Cup prop of the year Tukimihia Simpkins was included in the 19-man squad after Saturday's update Bulldogs: Coach Cameron Ciraldo has been forced into a handful of changes with Matt Burton Josh Curran and Sitili Tupouniua suspended following last week's loss to Brisbane Bailey Hayward will line up at five-eighth with Daniel Suluka-Fifita taking Curran's place in the front row Kurtis Morrin and Blake Taaffe are the new faces on the bench No changes in Saturday's 24-hour update with Lipoi Hopoi and Drew Hutchison remaining in the squad Stats supplied by David Middleton, League Information Services, author of the official annual of the NRL. Full Match Replay: Titans v Bulldogs – Round 9 weak 2 foot runners at Burleigh with men's and women's Elimination Rounds completed I first saw Olympian Nadia Erostarbe from Zarautz surfing at the Snapper Rocks Changa last year modern backhand that I assumed would translate to the CT Nadia has been called in for four starts so far Today marked another Elimination Round appearance for her which she failed to advance from despite her most CT-worthy ride of the year so far in an advancing position until five minutes to run before getting steamrolled by Sawyer Lindblad which is a bummer because she charges hollow lefts and could do serious damage in Tahiti The second women's Elimination Heat was conducted at a frenzied pace 23 waves were ridden - almost one a minute Winner Lakey Peterson accounted for eleven of those When the siren sounded 0.13 separated the other two surfers with Brisa on the wrong side of the wafer-thin margin The men's Elimination Round was a cracker. Particularly the first heat. Julian Wilson on the eve of a comeback via the Challenger Series with a rejigged tour in front of him which would have him salivating Ryan Callinan was a no-show with a new bub to attend to Morgan Ciblic magically appeared like a mushroom in a North Coast paddock after rain Shades of his all conquering 2021 year where he made John Florence look ordinary in beachbreaks For a man who makes a virtue of meditation Jack Robinson loves to get nasty in a heat Julian Wilson faked him deep for the opening minutes of the heat slipped into a tiny wave on his belly to reposition on the bank and won the tactical battle with Robinson The fully bald father of two wound the clock back and ripped into an aerial attack that would have shamed a teenager Two heats at Burleigh totalling an hour of competition with two others and he looked completely lost The best score he could muster in that hour was a tepid 5.33 in his heat today An under-surfed wave with very regulation top turns and a weak finish In desperation he went to the air and never looked like a make Jack's first showing on the Goldy points has been a total disaster His small wave game still looks inferior to top five peers Those who grew up in short period swells breaking on shallow sand bars will always have a superior small wave game and quite probably an overall advantage compared to those who grew up surfing groundswells I don't say that without some evidentiary basis In the last 20 years 16 of the men's World Champions grew up on short period swells Other than Hawaiians and a couple of Californians (Tom Curren basically) surfing small short-period windswell as a kid is a massive advantage The women's data is more skewed by Carissa Moore's titles but in the last 20 years 13 World Champions have grown up surfing dribble We often query beachbreak-bred surfers learning to We rarely reverse the onus of expertise and query reefbreak-bred surfers learning to ride small beachies or points The GOAT Kelly Slater won six events on the Gold Coast sand bottom points including at D-Bah when the point banks were washed out coming as they did at the start of the year Jack may win a few more Pipe Masters titles but he's got a long way to go before he starts racking up results on the sand bottom points on current form J-Dub faces off with Ferriera next and you'd give him more than a punchers chance based on today's showing Riding a magic JS file from 2015 (what is it with all the old JS files producing magic boards 10-15 years later?) Julian said in the presser today: “I truly think I can mix it up with him." Imagine Ferreira getting knocked by an Aussie wildcard at Bells and a retired bald dad at Burleigh? Too much heaven for Australian surf fans Just a quick word for new dad Ryan Callinan I feel like we've barely seen it unleashed in anger With one event remaining and sitting at No 31 you've brought a lot to the game and thanks for the memories I hope there's an injury wildcard or paternity clause somewhere you can use to get back on tour full-time There's way more left for you to contribute at CT level hitting every mark with power and precision and easily winning through Rio Waida looked on from start to finish in the next heat with second-placed Ed Groggia dispatching Matty McGillivray Rio revealed in the post-heat presser he was undergoing somewhat of an existential crisis Start of the year he was excited to come here but after a few disappointing showings he told Laura Enever, “Now I don't want to compete; I don't want to be here."  It was a question of meeting expectation he revealed “I put a lot of pressure on myself and when everything doesn't go my way I felt guilty." I'm happy." He was taking small steps and enjoying the journey saying he had felt the hunger come back in that heat and that For the final heat surfers moved down to the beachie bank and Joel Vaughan knocked in a super tight heat Too early to call a favourite after the opening rounds but there's a ton of momentum with wildcards Steph used to see him regularly out there midweek until he was around 12 Must’ve been back and forth a lot then maybe Compare his 5 point wave and the way he surfed it with Morgs scoring waves His first CT win was in small Mexican point break waves Very different to short period Gold Coast swells I’ve always felt he has a funny chink in his style / flow exciting moment of brilliance that rely on ‘recovery’ and slows the flow into next section I cringe every time I hear her claiming local status at Margs I think maybe JJ made up for some of his weaknesses by the sheer volume of surfing done in the beach breaks of ehukai Off season he tended to stay north shore and still surf for hours yes And Carissa would have honed her game in a lot of South shore stuff too Jack looked lost yesterday and Julian schooled him in tactics which was quite bizarre How to fix it is no doubt not easy and you're right about Filipe and others getting hammered for their lack of a big wave game but a world champ needs to be good or pretty good in all conditions No surfer cares about small wave prowess at this level - anyone can paddle out in those waves it is a shame we have to subject the surfers to this slop however for this level of surfing it really needs to be in minimum 6' and grinding Stuff the average surfer needs to really gear up to go out in Big wave game (not giant) is the point of all this from my viewpoint Let's hope for eight-to-10 foot main break rights for R-Cal to show us his greatness Ya gonna scoot up to Burls for a sniff onsite Steve He might not have grown up in short period swells but at least he's trying to do something about it I've seen footage of him in head high snapper and he's not bad As soon as it gets smaller than that (like in Newcastle a few years ago) he looks stuck like he did on the weekend Jack has lived on the Tweed for a while now and is always a standout at small Snapper and Dbah He trains like a beast in slop I wouldn't bother with I thought there may have been a showing at Snapper last 3 years as a CS but he appeared to no show it I'd still love to see him with a title though that probably makes me a hypocrite for calling out Fearlippe on his lack of big wave skills but giving Jack a pass for a crap small wave game I rewatched Jacks Backdoor 10 the other night with my son still the best wave of the year so far IMHO Jack seems to developed childitis (having kids) Julian’s only just recovering from the same problem You touched on this from day 1: jack’s heavy water mental zen isn’t translating well to the small stuff Will say that WA’s noisy swells throw up heaps of short period beachie action Despite the disincentive of “winning” a Great Wall two firsts and a last might still get him the Aussie treble Gonna be a bummer if cloudbreak is 10ft and Jack’s not there Does anyone know who won the expression session girls yesterday Classic: "Morgan Ciblic magically appeared like a mushroom in a North Coast paddock after rain." an honest question to your stats (they made me curious) "I don't say that without some evidentiary basis how many (or what percentage) of the CT surfers competing did grow up in short -period (according to your definition) swells Just checking as if historically 3/4 of surfers on tour come from short -period swells the expected rate of world champs would be 3/4 too (without considering any other priors or biases you're looking at separating Californian and Hawaiian surfers (long period) from Florida The fact there have been so few Californian champs compared to Florida champs is affirming for the theory Similar to the recent discussion as to why Victoria is under-represented at an Australian level (being mainly long period swells) it might be more a function of water temperature and time spent in the water as a grom over the whole year It isn't as easy for a 12 year old to get into a 4/3 wetsuit hood and booties in the middle of winter to practice high-performance surfing Interestingly there has only been one male world champ (from 22) that grew up surfing in cold water "The fact there have been so few Californian champs compared to Florida champs is affirming for the theory." There are a lot of difference in total number of titles I'm always amazed that California with all it's opportunity and surfing popularity has only produced one world champion There is less desire to win a surf contest in cali People dont care as much about it as the do in those other places Jack is a great Australian and a supremely talented surfer it happens and he can't get hard for whipping it in the weak stuff Wave choice looked very tricky and he was on the wrong side of it I wonder whether he needs a minor change in his small weak wave boards Looked a fraction light in volume to me and Baron is another one who doesn't look great in the small stuff Interesting hearing JS talking about getting Marco Mignot up a litre when he came over to JS Gives that much more carry and glide which is critical in small stuff Jack Robinson just looked at yesterday's WOTD and thought let's get out of here and go home and surf some real waves He will surely be one of the favorites to win Margs "surfing small short-period windswell as a kid is a massive advantage"... is that a reflection of the historical quality of waves on tour but equally matched in waves of consequence Jack (and others) seem to lack that workmanlike approach when its needed to get through the heats Andy cut his teeth at pine trees which is a fun super fast sandbar just down the street from his house Is the back half of the forecast looking better The size was barely there for this level surfing Is Jack still on a round tail synergy in that surf Absolute gun and deserves to be on the tour Jack dropped anchor at burls like he was waiting for a set wave to hit the Bells bowl Wrong tactics & failed to adapt while Jules & Morgs used him as a priority buoy Jules surfed that heat like he hasn't been off tour would be good to see Kerzy back in a rashie too I waych the first 8 minutes of Jack's heat....I guess he pulled a tommy whits after that Really interesting numbers of long/shor period world champs I would love someone to do somthing similar and crunch the numbers on the number of lefts vs rights on tour and how that correlates to goofy/natural wins To me it feels like the tour has been heavily skewd to righthanders and favoured the natural footers for at least a handful of years and possibly longer that's supported by Steve's observation of not having seen R-Cal's frontside Similarly - whn I was Yago at Strickland Bay comp during covid I felt I was seeing him surf a performance left reef for the first time Maybe fodder for an article another day steve It's an enduring complaint but pretty meaningless At that level the preference from backside to frontside is less than negligible Sure in some conditions there may be advantages but that swings both ways Goofys who may be constrained by the curves of small Rincon (Bells) think they have an advantage in big open Bells Both Italo and Gabs have openly said they prefer to be backside out there Jordy did his best ever air on a lefthander (Macaronis) R-Cal did his best ever air backside on a right Entertaining to watch the air show @ Burleigh with the odd 3ft face Hopefully a bigger swell will materailise & make for a real show in some thick running Burleigh bazzas Some very interesting talk about Griff C circulating on social media on this day of competition Under-age high school aged girlfriend stuff You're using an outdated browser. 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