IT TOOK precisely two games for Jamarra Ugle-Hagan to show what he could bring Gold Coast, kicking three second half goals to steer the Suns past Greater Western Sydney by 20 points on Sunday night.

In a scrappy contest in slippery conditions at People First Stadium, Ugle-Hagan helped separate the teams with a clever snap, a lovely mark drifting across the pack and then a chase down tackle late in the 11.17 (83) to 8.15 (63) win.

SUNS V GIANTS Full match details and stats

It was the first time the Suns have beaten the Giants since 2021 and just the second time in the past 17 encounters.

While Ugle-Hagan shone the week after his club debut, it was fellow recruit Christian Petracca that help set up the victory with another masterclass.

While other slipped, slid and scrapped, Petracca was clean and clever, booting two goals from his 28 disposals in another best on ground performance.

He had plenty of mates in a performance the Suns were crying out for after losing three of their past four matches.

Touk Miller, playing more midfield minutes in the absence of Brownlow Medal winner Matt Rowell (ankle) was ferocious with his defensive pressure and hunt around the contest.

Wil Powell was excellent all night, setting the tone with an early 50m goal, while John Noble and Bodhi Uwland excelled.

Damien Hardwick's plea for greater intensity following last week's loss to Hawthorn was met as the hosts harassed without the ball and provided enough chances for their forwards to capitalise.

The Giants will rue a slow start and some unusually wayward kicking around goal (at one stage they were 1.7).

Finn Callaghan (28) looked like ripping the game away at different stages, as did Aaron Cadman (two goals), while Clayton Oliver (32) and Lachie Whitfield (30) busted themselves all night.

Gold Coast burst from the blocks, feasting on turnover to kick the game's first three goals.

Powell lasered one from outside 50m, then Petracca did likewise, before skipper Noah Anderson kicked truly from a set shot following a precise pass from the former Demon.

The Giants slowly worked their way back into the contest with Cadman looking the most dangerous forward on the ground with a goal either side of quarter time.

It wasn't pretty, with plenty of errors from both teams, but when Pheonix Gothard snapped truly they were within four points at the main break.

Clohesy could be in some MRO trouble
A third quarter tackle from Gold Coast winger Sam Clohesy is sure to be assessed by Match Review Officer Michael Christian after Giant Ryan Angwin was concussed and ruled out of the game. Clohesy pinned the arm of his opponent and although not a driving motion, took him to ground with Angwin's head thumping into the turf. The young Giant was helped from the field and ruled out for the remainder of the night.

Gold Coast's open-air coaching box
Damien Hardwick had a different outlook on the game after a pre-match incident left his coach's box without a front window. The host broadcaster was trying to install the camera that sits in the box when a tool used to help the process fell and cracked the glass. With the splintering making it impossible to see out of, the entire window was knocked out about six hours before the game.

A timeslot that might not work?
The past two years Gold Coast has travelled to Brisbane in this corresponding round to play a QClash on the Sunday night of Queensland's Labor Day long weekend. The fixture has been a smash hit in the state's capital, selling out in 2025. With the state government wanting the contest pushed back to Queensland Day on June 6, the Suns were left with a home match in the same timeslot. Whether it was the time, the opponent or the inclement weather, the local fans weren't as keen, with 13,537 attending (16,004 came to watch the Giants on an early Saturday afternoon last year).

GOLD COAST                            3.4   4.8   8.13   11.17 (83)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY   1.7  3.10  5.13   8.15 (63)

GOALS
Gold Coast: Ugle-Hagan 3, Petracca 2, King 2, Jeffrey, Powell, Noble, Anderson
Greater Western Sydney: Cadman 2, Gothard 2, Stringer, Hogan, Bedford, Greene
 
BEST
Gold Coast: Petracca, Rioli, Miller, Powell, Noble, Uwland
Greater Western Sydney: Callaghan, Whitfield, Cadman, Ash, Oliver, Idun

INJURIES
Gold Coast: Nil
Greater Western Sydney: Angwin (concussion)

Crowd: 13,537 at People First Stadium