Niamh McLaughlin helps Gold Coast keep Grand Finals ambitions firmly on track

Niamh McLaughlin and her Gold Coast Suns teammates now have one foot in the Grand finals after overpowering Greater Western Sydney by 31 points at Heritage Bank Stadium on Friday night.

The 48-17 win ensures sixth placed Suns will enter the final round of the home and away season, where they host Essendon in Mackay, inside the top eight. A win in that match and they would host an elimination final.

Up next, Gold Coast will look to claim a home elimination final when it ‘hosts’ Essendon at Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena next Friday night. 

Meanwhile, Tanya Kennedy and the Sydney Swans, sitting tenth in the table, are in action on Sunday as they host Collinwood. Yvonne Bonner, who has missed the last two games for second-placed Adelaide Crows, also looks set miss out on their home clash with North Melbourne, also Sunday. 

Still, with the Crows nailed on for a finals spot, the Glenfin girl will no doubt feature at the business end of the season.  

“Yvonne is continuing to increase her training load and has started doing more  change of direction activities,” head coach Phil Harper said. She is tracking well, but may need another week before she returns.”