Gold Coast are a step closer to realising their dream of playing AFL finals for the first time after seeing off a plucky young Essendon side by 41 points, thanks to a dominant fourth quarter.
The Suns had their noses in front at every change before putting their foot to the floor with a six-goals-to-none final term, winning 18.7 (115) to 11.8 (74) at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
Gold Coast skipper Noah Anderson was instrumental in the win, kicking two goals from 20 second-half disposals to finish with 30 possessions for the match, while key forwards Ben King (four goals) and Ethan Read (a career-best three goals) were also important.
Star midfielder Matt Rowell was held to just 15 disposals in his 100th game, thanks to some close checking from Essendon's Will Setterfield.
But the gun Sun still found a way to influence the contest, finishing with 17 tackles and drawing praise from coach Damien Hardwick.
"He's a pleasure to coach. There's a reason he's one of the best players in the competition, because he works harder than everyone else," Hardwick said.
"I thought our mids got to work. Rowelly and Noah (Anderson) ... they were probably beaten, I reckon, in the first three quarters."
Essendon threatened to cause a boilover with a strong showing for much of the game, matching the Suns' intensity around the contest, with skipper Zach Merrett (40 disposals, 12 clearances) and Sam Durham (27 disposals, 12 clearances) leading from the front.
A three-goal third-quarter blitz from third-gamer Archer May and another three-goal haul from emerging star Nate Caddy had Bomber fans excited, but Essendon fell away badly in the final term.
"If the game went for three quarters, it was a very good performance," Essendon coach Brad Scott said.
"I thought we ran out of a bit of steam in terms of the intensity we were bringing to the contest, and Gold Coast's good players got going in the last quarter and we were unable to stem the flow."
While Essendon fielded eight players with fewer than 25 games of experience, the Suns also had young players in key roles, with Hardwick praising the efforts of forward duo Read and Jed Walter.
"What they bring to the side is a combative, contested nature ... so although their statistical output doesn't look enormous, they help us win,'' the coach said.
"And that's what we're buying - we're buying wins with those boys."
Gold Coast will finish the round in the top eight, and will welcome back key players Sam Collins and Jarrod Witts for their prime-time home clash with Collingwood on Friday night after a week resting up on the sidelines.
"Witts has done a power of work this year, and we've had Ned (Moyle, back-up ruck) in terrific form, so we really wanted to give him an opportunity, but also rest up Jarrod off a short break," Hardwick said.
"And we'd rather (Collins) take the week (off) than miss him for four, so we sort of made a conservative call. It was a really smart call.
"We've got a really challenging game next week, and then the week after we go to Adelaide, but we're really pleased with how our squad is playing and how, when challenged, they do respond, so we're looking forward to the challenge."