Gold Coast Suns vs West Coast Eagles AFL Round 1 Tips - Raining goals on the Goldy

Jeremy Darke

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Last updated: Fri 13 Mar 2026 09:08

Jeremy Darke 13 Mar 2026

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Gold Coast Suns expected to dominate West Coast Eagles
Christian Petracca's addition powers up Suns' midfield; Ben King & Bailey Humphrey to shine.
West Coast debuts new faces but anticipates a tough match against a superior opponent.
The game will be played at People First Stadium on Sunday, 15th March, with the bounce at 6:10 PM (AEDT)

Gold Coast Suns vs West Coast Eagles AFL Round 1 Tips

Gold Coast Suns vs West Coast Eagles, Round 1 2026 - Expert Prediction

The Suns impressed in their opener and this one is going to be an ugly start for West Coast with the Gold Coast expected to cover the 67.5 points as the favourite at People First Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Gold Coast Suns vs West Coast Eagles, Round 1 2026 - Expert Prediction
Head to Head Stats
Gold Coast Suns Form Analysis
West Coast Eagles Form Analysis
Gold Coast Suns Team News
West Coast Eagles Team News
Gold Coast Suns vs West Coast Eagles Team List
Gold Coast Suns vs West Coast Eagles AFL 2026 Round 1 FAQ’s

Christian Petracca proved why he could be the missing piece that will take the Suns to their first Premiership in the AFL, taking the Gold Coast midfield to the next level, even without Brownlow medalist Matt Rowell in the squad.

West Coast are still building and will debut three new faces Willem Duursma, Cooper Duff-Tytler and Josh Lindsay, but unfortunately for the youngsters they will come up against a much superior opponent who is going to put up a cricket score on them.

It is going to rain goals on Sunday as the Suns put the hammer down again and continue a dominant start to the season. Ben King will get a bag of at least 4 majors, while I also like Bailey Humphrey for three after seeing his connection with Petracca from the midfield.

The Suns will cover and kick over 126.5 points, which is just a couple more than they put on Geelong last weekend.

The Suns have beaten the Eagles by 70+ in 2 of their last 4 matches.
West Coast conceded 126 points or more in 3 of their final 5 games of the 2025 season
Ben King kicked 6 goals against West Coast last season
Bailey Humphrey kicked 4 goals last week against Geelong.

Head to Head Stats

The Suns thumped the Eagles by 87 points at Optus Stadium when the pair faced each other in Round 1, 2025.

The Suns have won 5 of the last 6 matches against the Eagles, dating back to 2022.

Gold Coast Suns Form Analysis

The Suns have firmed in as favourites for the Premiership after their stunning performance against last year’s Grand Finalists Geelong in Opening Round. The Cats were missing a couple of their key men but it was how the Gold Coast put the Cats to the sword early as it looked like it was going to be a 100+ margin midway through the third before they took their foot off the gas.

The inclusion of Christian Petracca did not disappoint with the former Demon lighting it up for his new club, notching 34 disposals along with three goals and 6 clearances. His ability to link up with Bailey Humphrey was a highlight with the key forward slotting 4 goals which opened up space for Ben King to also kick 4 majors.

The Suns hype is real and is only going to get better.

West Coast Eagles Form Analysis

West Coast enter 2026 focused on rebuilding credibility after a disastrous 2025 season that produced just one win and exposed major structural issues.

The goal is not immediate contention but visible progress, competitiveness and clearer system play. Defensive stability should improve with Brandon Starcevich, while a full season from Jake Waterman could provide a reliable forward target.

Harley Reid remains the key variable, with his midfield burst and clearance work capable of lifting the entire team if he maintains discipline.

However, depth remains a major concern, particularly if injuries hit the spine again. Realistically, the Eagles’ ladder range sits between 16th and 18th, with development the primary measure of success.

Gold Coast Suns Team News

The Suns will be unchanged from the squad they took down Geelong last week.

Matt Rowell and Max Knobel are still a few weeks away from returning.

West Coast Eagles Team News

New recruit Brandon Starcevich will miss the opening 3 weeks with a calf injury.

The Eagles unveil young trio Willem Duursma, Cooper Duff-Tytler and Josh Lindsay.

Gold Coast Suns vs West Coast Eagles Team List

Gold Coast	POS	West Coast
M. Andrew, B. Uwland, S. Collins	B	R. Ginbey, T. Young, B. Allan
J. Noble, D. Rioli, J. Jeffrey	HB	L. Duggan, B. Hough, J. Lindsay
L. Weller, W. Powell, S. Clohesy	C	H. Davis, E. Yeo, D. Robertson
T. Miller, B. Humphrey, W. Graham	HF	J. Graham, J. Shanahan, W. Duursma
E. Read, B. King, L. Lombard	F	A. Reid, J. Waterman, J. Cripps
J. Witts, N. Anderson, C. Petracca	FOLL	M. Flynn, H. Reid, T. McCarthy
J. Walter, A. Davies, N. Moyle, B. Long, Z. Uwland, C. Graham, O. Adams, J. Farrar	I/C	T. Kelly, C. Duff-Tytler, R. Maric, T. Cole, R. Bazzo, F. Macrae, J. Newton, M. Murdoch

Gold Coast Suns vs West Coast Eagles AFL 2026 Round 1 FAQ’s

How to watch Gold Coast Suns vs West Coast Eagles AFL 2026 Round 1?

You can watch the Gold Coast Suns vs West Coast Eagles AFL 2026 Round 1 game via Fox Sports or Kayo Sports. If you are watching from outside of Australia the WatchAFL app is the perfect solution.

How to buy tickets to Gold Coast Suns vs West Coast Eagles AFL 2026 Round 1?

To buy tickets to the Gold Coast Suns vs West Coast Eagles AFL 2026 Round 1 game check the AFL website or the official Gold Coast Suns site.

Verdict

Gold Coast Suns v West Coast Eagles

Ben King will kick 4 goals and Bailey Humphrey at least 3 as the Suns score over 126.5 points and cover the 67.5 points line as the favourite against West Coast.