AFLW leading goal-kicker Jamie Stanton's two final-quarter majors have given Gold Coast a hard-fought 12-point victory over a wayward Collingwood.
Stanton finished with three goals and took her season tally to 10 in the Suns' 5.3 (33) to 2.9 (21) win at Victoria Park on Sunday.
After a record-breaking thumping of West Coast in round two, Gold Coast have improved to 2-1 as they chase a finals berth for the first time since the COVID-aborted 2020 playoffs.
Stanton had never previously kicked more than three goals in a season but has relished her move to the forward line this year.
"Jamie adds experience and she's so smart. In terms of her going forward, I had no doubt she was going to be effective," Gold Coast coach Cameron Joyce said.
"I'm rapt for her because she has been working really hard on her game and she's coming back from an ACL (injury).
"It hasn't been easy and I've really been getting her to work up the ground and work back.
"She's played a couple of different roles in the forward line at times and she's adapting really well and getting the results."
Claudia Whitfort (19 disposals, seven clearances), Charlie Rowbottom (18 touches) and Elizabeth Keaney (16) were also influential for the Suns as they posted their first win over a Victorian team in Melbourne.
Lauren Ahrens stood tall in defence, while Lucy Single played a disciplined tagging role to limit Collingwood star Bri Davey to just five disposals in the first half before finishing with 19 touches herself.
"She keeps taking on the task each week of playing on the best midfielder and Bri's a star of the competition," Joyce said, "but I thought Lucy was fantastic today. She did exactly the job that we wanted."
Collingwood star Brittany Bonnici had an equal game-high 19 disposals in her 50th AFLW game and Sarah Rowe (18 disposals) was also busy.
Davey, who finished with 16 touches and seven clearances, kicked the only goal of the first term to give the Magpies a 1.3 to 0.1 lead at quarter-time.
The Suns kicked the next three majors as Collingwood wasted a string of chances in attack, but scores were level at the final change after Ash Brazill goaled on the run.
Stanton stood up in the final quarter, nailing a set shot before tapping home Keaney's attempt on the goal-line to seal the result.
"It's certainly one that got away," disappointed Collingwood coach Steve Symonds said.
"The data tells us that we should've won but two-goals-nine, you're not going to win too many games kicking like that.
"Finishing in front of goals is an important part of the game and we just didn't do that."
