Gold Coast defeated Yartapuulti by 25 points on Friday night at TIO Stadium, keeping their perfect record in Darwin intact and pushing themselves into the top four. The Suns won 15.8 to 10.13 after a late scare from the home side.

Damien Hardwick’s team recorded its seventh win of the season and extended a remarkable run at the venue to 10 wins from 10 matches since the club began taking home games north in 2022. The result also kept Gold Coast unbeaten in the Top End across five seasons.

The match looked done midway through the final quarter, when Yartapuulti trailed by 40 points. Then came a burst of pressure and three quick goals that briefly made the contest feel alive again before Gold Coast steadied. Jed Walter’s third major for the Suns helped secure the win, giving the visitors breathing room when it mattered most.

Gold Coast had to finish the game without Lachie Weller, who went off with a hamstring injury, and without Will Graham after concussion ruled him out for the second half. Even with those absences, Noah Anderson kept the Suns moving with 33 disposals and eight clearances, controlling the middle of the ground as Gold Coast absorbed the late push.

The final margin did not flatter the Suns so much as underline how hard they are to beat in Darwin. Yartapuulti found a spell of momentum late, but Gold Coast had already done enough work to make the response manageable. On a night when the ladder tightened, the result mattered because it left Gold Coast inside the top four and reinforced a travel pattern that has become one of the club’s most dependable edges.