What a difference a week makes in the AFLW, with Geelong now riding a wave of momentum after a thumping win over St Kilda last Saturday. 

The Cats' season did not start smoothly as they were well beaten by North Melbourne in the season opener, but they quickly turned that around to even the ledger with an 85-point victory in Round 2. 

They will be looking to continue that surge this week as Geelong prepares to head to the Gold Coast, facing a Suns outfit that has had an eerily similar start to the 2026 season. 

Gold Coast were well beaten in Round 1 but bounced back strongly last weekend in a strong victory over West Coast, playing a very distinct brand of football that secured them the four points. 

Take a look through some of Gold Coast's strengths ahead of Sunday's clash. 

Ladder

Geelong: 9th (1-1)

Gold Coast: 8th (1-1)

Recent History - Geelong v Gold Coast

Deakin Performance Stat of the Week: Bringing the Ball to Ground

Two weeks of football is a relatively small sample size and the Suns rank middle of the road in most statistics, but one clear standout is their ability to find targets in their forward half. 

Through the opening two rounds, Gold Coast rank first in the AFLW for marks inside 50 with an average of 13 per game, far higher than Geelong's average of 5.5 and even North Melbourne's average of 7.5.

On average, they find a mark inside 50 on 38.2% of their entries which again is first in the AFLW, nearly double the competition average which currently sits at 20.2%. 

Havanna Harris has been the main threat so far in 2026, but they have a number of different options they can spread the ball to, which will be something the Cats will need to limit on Sunday. 

Suns Player to Watch - Charlie Rowbottom

While there is plenty of young talent on Gold Coast's list, there is always one player that stands out amongst the rest and that is Charlie Rowbottom. 

A two-time All Australian, a three-time Suns best and fairest winner and five selections in the 22Under22 team, Rowbottom has been firmly established among the competition's best players for an extended period of time. 

She has also started the 2026 season in a rich vein of form, currently ranked 16th in the AFLW for disposals, fourth for tackles, 12th for clearances and third for contested possessions. 

Where Geelong Can Improve - Clearances

The Cats dominated nearly every facet of the game en route to their massive victory over St Kilda, but if there is one potential area for improvement, it is around stoppages. 

Even with Geelong's dynamic midfield, they currently rank 14th in the AFLW for total clearances, while the Saints actually recorded more centre clearances than the Cats last Saturday. 

If the Cats can get first use through the likes of Prespakis and Morrison heading forward, it will make them nearly unstoppable and is something they can look to improve on against the Suns.