Despite a thrilling final quarter fightback by the Swans VFL side, the side suffered a two goal defeat to the Gold Coast in the VFL semi final at Blacktown International Sportspark on Sunday.

The 12-point defeat to the Gold Coast sees an end to the side’s 2022 campaign, falling short of this week’s preliminary final.

The Suns made a great start with the wind in the first term with four of the first five goals to lead by 19 points before the Swans got their teeth into the game and booted the next five and six out of seven to take control, led by tough midfielder Matt Roberts, uncompromising backman Will Gould and the smooth moving Braeden Campbell and James Bell.

But when Frosty Miller medallist Chris Burgess, who hadn’t previously touched the footy, took a strong mark in the goalsquare and converted at the 14-minute mark of the second term to stop the Swans’ run-on, the game changed again.

Burgess snagged two more before half-time with his opponent Barry O’Connor on the bench, and with back-up ruckman Lachlan McAndrew out of the game with concussion after a heavy landing in a tackle, the Suns took total control of the contest.

The outstanding Jeremy Sharp gave Gold Coast the lead at the three-minute mark of the third term and the Suns left Sydney in their wake, booting 6.4 to 2.2 to lead by 24 at the final change as Flanders found able allies in the prolific Charlie Constable, co-captain James Tsitas and the clever Jack Bowes.

Staring at a straight-sets exit from an otherwise quality campaign, the Swans responded in the last quarter, but missed several gettable opportunities as they kicked 3.4 without response to get back within two points when retiring warhorse Callum Sinclair ran into an open goal for his second at the 13-minute mark.

But where Gold Coast overran Sydney in their previous three outings, the Suns showed a steely determination to hang on, with Alex Sexton snaring his third before Bowes sealed it with an opportunistic snap out of a pack from the goalsquare with less than a minute to play to beat the Swans for the sixth time in a row and bank an eighth consecutive victory.

Gould was one of the Swans’ best, standing tall in the absence of the injured full-back Lewis Melican to finish with 24 disposals, 11 marks, 10 rebounds and countless spoils, with Roberts bouncing back from a quiet qualifying final to have 30 touches, six marks, six inside-50s and a rare goal.

Campbell (24, six entries, five tackles, one goal), Bell (26, seven clearances, one goal) and Harry Cunningham (22, seven marks, six entries) also had terrific days, while the in-form Ben Ronke (21, five marks, six entries, five tackles, two goals) and Hayden McLean (13, nine marks, six tackles, four goals) starred in attack.

Sinclair, who announced his retirement last week and was chaired off after the game, turned in a lion-hearted effort after being asked to step up to first ruck due to Peter Ladhams’ suspension, finishing with 14 disposals, seven marks, 18 hitouts, five clearances and two goals to quell the influence of star Suns big man Ned Moyle (13, 29 hitouts, five clearances, five entries).