The Gold Coast Suns are now in their 15th season of AFL footy, and across the last decade and a half they’ve faced the Western Bulldogs 17 times. In only three of those seasons – 2011, 2014 and most recently in 2021 – have the sides played each other twice.
This year the Bulldogs and Suns will again meet only once, unless they happen to cross swords in the 2025 finals series. A September meeting is arguably more likely than in any previous season, given the current form of both clubs and the fact that this week’s match will mark the first time the teams have met while both sitting in the top eight.
TIO Stadium in Darwin will be the venue for Saturday night’s encounter, the third time the clubs will have faced off in the Top End with the most recent clash in 2023. The Dogs started brilliantly in that match, jumping to a 20-point lead after only 10 minutes, but were overhauled in energy-sapping conditions as the Suns snuck home by seven points.
In 2012, the Dogs had a much more enjoyable visit to the Northern Territory, running away from Gold Coast to win by 38 points after trailing at half time. Veteran Brian Lake and a 20-year-old Tom Liberatore (24 disposals each) led the way for the Doggies.
Somewhat surprisingly, this Saturday’s match will bring TIO Stadium level with Marvel Stadium in terms of number of games hosted between the Bulldogs and Suns. Since the first meeting of the two teams back in 2011, they’ve faced off at Docklands only twice more, in 2019 and 2021.
The Dogs recorded a 71-point win in that inaugural match, a margin that remains a record in Bulldogs-Suns encounters. Barry Hall starred in front of goal that afternoon, kicking five, while Daniel Cross (37 disposals), Matthew Boyd (36) and Shaun Higgins (32 touches and a goal) collected the Brownlow votes.
It was not until 2019 that the teams met again at Marvel. That match ended in heartbreak for the Bulldogs as they went down by just five points despite the heroics of Marcus Bontempelli, whose game-high 34 disposals earned him three Brownlow votes.
Two years later the Bulldogs had a much better time of it at home, thrashing the Suns by 62 points. Bontempelli was again the star, the skipper picking up 33 disposals, three goals and three more Brownlow Medal votes.
Three other venues have staged Bulldogs v Suns matches. Five of those were at the Suns’ home ground of Carrara, where the Dogs hold a 3-2 win-loss record, and another four at Cazaly Stadium in Cairns. All four of the Cazaly Stadium games were wins for the Doggies by margins of 22 points or more.
Perhaps the most memorable of those came in Round 15, 2015. The Bulldogs looked out of sorts for the first three quarters of the game, and trailed by as much as 37 points midway through the third term. The deficit was still 26 points at the last change of ends, but the Dogs stormed home with an incredible 10-goal final quarter, eventually winning by a surprisingly comfortable 22 points. And who got the three Brownlow Medal votes? That man Marcus Bontempelli – again. The Bont had 28 touches, seven tackles and two goals, including the one that sparked the 10-goal last-term avalanche.
In 2018 Mars Stadium became the fifth venue to host the Bulldogs and Gold Coast Suns, and the Dogs have won each of the three Ballarat matches between the two by increasing margins.
The Doggies came from behind to beat the Suns by nine points in 2018. Marcus Bontempelli did not register any votes in that match, but had a pretty good excuse given he missed the match with an injured hip.
In 2022 the margin was a slightly more comfortable 19 points, with an injury-free Bontempelli making the trip to Ballarat this time around. Did he make a difference? His figures of 24 disposals, seven clearances and three goals would suggest he did. The umpires agreed, Bont picking up another three Brownlow votes.
Two years later Bontempelli featured heavily again at Mars, picking up 32 touches and an incredible 11 clearances – both game highs – as the Bulldogs beat the Suns easily, the final margin 48 points. To the shock of all who were following the Brownlow Medal count last September, Bontempelli’s commanding performance did not earn him a single vote.
Tom Liberatore (20 disposals, nine tackles) collected the three votes, Cody Weightman (six goals, four tackles) received two, and first-year player Ryley Sanders (22 possessions, five tackles) was awarded one. All three played great games, but the fact that Bontempelli missed out on votes entirely baffled many.
Last year’s Ballarat match took the Bulldogs win-loss record against the Suns to 13-4, and they’ll be keen to make it 14-4 this Saturday night.
