Gold Coast’s 3.11 return at Optus Stadium on Sunday isn’t its worst ever AFL score, but it’s never kicked a lower total against the Dockers.

The Suns didn’t fire a shot against the top ranked Dockers. They never looked like reaching the 5.9 (39), their previous lowest against Fremantle, that they scored in round 2, 2014.

The performance was also well short of what they produced at the same venue at the end of the 2025 season.

Remember that clash? Fremantle obviously did.

David Swallow kicked a late behind to give the Suns a memorable one-point victory in last year’s 2025 Elimination Final.

The respective sides’ 2026 campaigns are on very different trajectories now, though.

The 11.14 (80) to 3.11 (29) victory was the Fremantle’s 14th consecutive win.

However, Gold Coast is now fighting hard to make the Wildcard round after falling to a fifth loss on the trot.

Free possessions

The Suns did manage to win one of the key stats looked at in games: contested possessions. They claimed that 128-116.

But the Dockers uncontested possession game was again at its best.

They had 268 possessions without pressure from a Gold Coast player. The Suns had just 191 in this area, a difference of 77.

The Fremantle player that the Suns could ill-afford to get on his own, due to how dangerous he is with the ball, was Murphy Reid.

But of his 28 possessions, 24 were uncontested. Of Andrew Brayshaw’s 29 possessions, 24 were uncontested.

The Dockers have damaged sides in this area over the past six weeks.

In the five games, all wins, before Sunday, they had an advantage of 201 uncontested at an average of 40 per game.

Maybe teams should start playing a bit tighter.

Fierce form

Luke Jackson is not playing the game like rucks should.

He kicked two goals against the Suns, the fourth game this season he’s hit the scoreboard multiple times.

He has kicked eight in his past three games, after booting three in each clash against North Melbourne and Geelong.

He now has 17 goals for the season.

But he’s also getting plenty of the ball.

Jackson is averaging almost 20 disposals per game and had 15 against the Suns. He also took five marks.

He took three of those marks inside their attacking 50m area. The Dockers took a total of 17 of these, opposed to the Suns four.

Sean Darcy returned to the Dockers line up on Sunday, with Mason Cox relegated to the WAFL.

It was a modest return for Darcy, who had just six disposals, 20 hit outs and a goal.

Clearing the way

As good as Jackson was though, the Suns also won the clearances battle.

They won the centre clearance statistic 8-7, with Noah Anderson having three.

They won the stoppage clearance statistic, Anderson and Matt Rowell having five each.

But they were unable to turn it into an advantage in attack.

Gold Coast only went forward 40 times, compared to Fremantle’s 54.

While that difference wasn’t an issue for the Suns in last year’s Elimination Final, it was on Sunday.

Last year, in that thriller, the Suns only went forward 49 times, but managed to kick a much more efficient 11.14.