The Sydney Swans travel to the Gold Coast this weekend to take on the Suns at People First Stadium on Sunday afternoon with both sides coming off disappointing losses.

The Suns were beaten by 11 points by Richmond in Round 6, while the Swans lost narrowly to Port Adelaide at home by 8 points. In a losing side, Ben Ainsworth, Noah Anderson and Mac Andrew were the best for the Suns, while Ben Long booted three goals. For Sydney, Matt Roberts collected 30 disposals against the Power, while Aaron Francis played the ideal super-sub role, booting three goals in the final quarter to almost get the Swans home.

The last time these two sides met was last season in Round 6 when the Swans were far too good for the Suns. On that occasion Sydney won by 53 points at the SCG, with Errol Gulden and Isaac Heeney dominating in the midfield while Joel Amartey booted four goals. For Gold Coast, Sam Flanders was among their best with 34 disposals.

The Swans will be boosted by the recent re-signing of star midfielder Chad Warner but will be without small defender Sam Wicks who misses with a tight calf. For the Suns, Damien Hardwick will take an unchanged side into the Anzac Day weekend clash.

Hardwick said despite the positions on the ladder, the Swans pose several threats.

“They’ve got a number of players that are capable match-winners. The thing they do well is they’ve got a great system of play that they’ve had a for a long time,” said Hardwick.

“There’s a couple of things they do differently, but what we do know is that they’re very capable of playing some good, scintillating footy if we allow them to play the way they want to play.

“It’s going to be a challenge, but we’ll look to negate that the best we can,” Hardwick said.

First bounce on Sunday at People First Stadium is 1.15pm.

A second-half avalanche by Gold Coast has piloted the Suns to their fifth win of the season, defeating Sydney by 38 points on a hot Sunday afternoon at People First Stadium.

Gold Coast trailed by 29 points late in the second term but banged on 12 consecutive goals on the way to a 17.15 (117) to 12.7 (79) triumph.

Damien Hardwick's men could hardly have played worse in the first half as they fumbled and bumbled their way to a hefty deficit, but the response following the main break was as emphatic as it was devastating.

After the midfield was belted early on, the Suns kicked 6.6 to 0.1 in the defining third quarter, feasting on the back of a 15-3 clearance advantage and 18-5 inside 50s.

Former skipper Jarrod Witts was magnificent, with his 18 disposals and six clearances telling only part of his influence.

Bailey Humphrey kicked four goals, including one that sailed through half post high from the centre square, among his 18 disposals, while Ben King kicked five to move to the top of the Coleman Medal tally.

Touk Miller (24) had a big influence after half-time, while Noah Anderson (22) fought a James Jordon tag and Daniel Rioli (21 and two goals) added so much dash and creativity from half-back.

Following such a dominant opening half, the Swans' capitulation was hard to believe.

James Rowbottom had the better of Matt Rowell in their head-to-head stoppage battle before the young Sun wrestled back some control, while Chad Warner was electric early before fading.

The Swans could not win the ball at the contest and when they won it back in the defensive 50, continued to gift Gold Coast chances with poor turnovers.

Their 25-point lead at quarter-time could easily have been more.

Led by Rowbottom, they destroyed the Suns out of the middle, winning eight of nine centre clearances, to give the re-worked forward line plenty of opportunities at goal.

Chad Warner took two bounces to stream into an open goal, while Jordon's goal close to the quarter-time siren summed up the term as multiple Suns players stumbled over the ball for the Swan to swoop and convert.

The Suns responded well early in the second, kicking the first two goals, before Sydney re-established its dominance to get out to a 29-point advantage.

After not having a touch for most of the first half, young Suns forward Jed Walter breathed life into his team just before the main break, extracting two free kicks for goals that tightened the scores.

A second-half avalanche

Whatever Damien Hardwick said at half-time had the desired result. Unlike previous seasons where Gold Coast battled to change momentum within games, this year things are different. After being beaten around the stoppages in the first two quarters, the Suns hit back and hit back hard, winning 15 clearances to three in the third term to establish field position and feast with 6.6 to 0.1. Despite a quiet game from Matt Rowell and little influence from skipper Noah Anderson, the rest of the Suns midfield came to the party, led by Jarrod Witts, Touk Miller and impressive youngster Bailey Humphrey.

The Chad shows why he's worth the cash

At the end of the same week he signed a lucrative two-year contract extension, Chad Warner reminded everyone – if they needed reminding – just why he's worth the cash. Using his explosive pace and burst from congestion, Warner kicked highlight goals in both the first and second quarters to help establish the healthy Swans lead. He took two bounces and finished well in the first and then expertly curled home a left-foot snap from the left-forward pocket in the second.

GOLD COAST          2.2     6.6     12.12     17.15 (117)
SYDNEY                   6.3     9.5        9.6        12.7 (79)  

GOALS
Gold Coast: King 5, Humphrey 4, Walter 3, Rioli 2, Rowell, Long, Holman
Sydney: Blakey 3, Ch.Warner 2, Campbell 2, Co.Warner, McLean, Ladhams, Jordon, Heeney

BEST
Gold Coast: Witts, Humphrey, Miller, Rioli, King, Noble
Sydney: Rowbottom, Ch.Warner, Bice, Lloyd, Melican

INJURIES
Gold Coast: Nil
Sydney: Paton (calf)

SUBSTITUTES
Gold Coast: Connor Budarick (replaced Ben Ainsworth in the fourth quarter)
Sydney: Tom Hanily (replaced Ben Paton at half-time)

Crowd: 18,034 at People First Stadium