Geelong has slumped to a disappointing defeat to open their 2026 season, falling to a red-hot Suns outfit by 56 points at People First Stadium on Friday night. 

In hot and humid conditions on the Gold Coast, the Cats struggled to adapt as the Suns piled on the pressure early, falling behind in the first term before the margin slowly extended out of reach as the night unfolded. 

The main positive to take away for Geelong was the incredible performance by Tanner Bruhn, who finished the game with 31 disposals, six score involvements and six intercept possessions in a phenomenal display.

Tom Atkins did everything he could to inspire his side through the middle of the ground, consistently willing himself to contests to collect 26 disposals and six clearances, while Ollie Dempsey showed no signs of slowing down with four goals. 

It took less than 90 seconds for Tanner Bruhn to make his presence felt on return, pinpointing a beautiful left foot kick to Shaun Mannagh deep inside 50, setting up Geelong's opening goal of the season. 

Gold Coast gained the momentum shortly after and held it for the majority of the first term, the Cats struggling to cover the Suns' offensive power as they found themselves trailing by 29 points at quarter time. 

The deficit continued to grow in the second term, Gold Coast were able to crucify Geelong's errors in defence and despite goals to Ollie Henry and Mitch Knevitt, the Cats headed into half time 42 points adrift. 

Bruhn (18 disposals) provided a spark and was firmly among Geelong's best in the first half, able to work back and pick off an equal game-high six intercepts while also recording four score involvements in a brilliant start to the year. 

James Worpel (six clearances, five tackles) and Tom Atkins (14 disposals) had an influence around stoppages and willed themselves into the contest, while Max Holmes (13 disposals) and Gryan Miers (14 disposals) worked hard to find space across the ground. 

Any hopes of a second half comeback were quickly dashed as Gold Coast kept their foot down, the Cats conceding seven unanswered goals in the third quarter as the deficit blew out to 79 points at the final break. 

But even with the result out of reach, Geelong continued to show fight in the final term and kicked six of the last seven goals in the game, pulling the final margin back to 56 points. 

Geelong will look to regroup quickly and bounce back as they return home next week, taking on Fremantle at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 

2026 AFL Season - Opening Round

GOLD COAST         7.1    11.5    18.8    19.11  (125)  
GEELONG CATS     2.2     4.5      5.7      10.9    (69)  

GOALS
Gold Coast: King, Humphrey 4, Petracca 3, Noble, Long, Lombard 2, Miller, Anderson 1
Geelong Cats: Dempsey 4, O.Henry 2, Neale, Mannagh, Knevitt, Clark 1

DISPOSALS
Gold Coast: Petracca 34, Miller 30, Noble 28, Andrew 26, Rioli, Anderson 24
Geelong Cats: Bruhn 31, Holmes 29, Miers 28, Atkins 26, Stewart 24

CROWD: 19,859 @ People First Stadium