Hawthorn Hawks vs Gold Coast Suns Preview
Hawthorn are tipped to edge Gold Coast Suns in a thriller on ANZAC Day in Tasmania. It is second vs fourth but the Hawks have the edge as they head to UTAS Stadium where they have won 10 straight.
- Hawthorn have won their past 10 matches at UTAS Stadium.
- The home side has won the past 10 meetings between the Hawks and the Suns.
- Matt Rowell has had 30+ disposals in his past two matches.
- Nick Watson kicked five goals last weekend and booted three the last time the two sides met.
Head to Head Stats
Gold Coast have won the past three matches between the two sides, including the Round 10 fixture in 2025 by eight points in Darwin.
Those three matches have all been held in Queensland or the Northern Territory with the Suns as the home side.
Hawthorn took out the most recent encounter at UTAS Stadium by seven points in 2022, and the home side has won the past 10 matches between the two sides.
Hawthorn Hawks Form - Riding High In Second
Hawthorn sit at 5-1 in 2026 and scraped through with a three-point win over Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium in Round 6.
Their strengths are built on a high-pressure, intensity-driven game style, with strong intercept marking and forward-half territory control.
But the Power found a way with some clever inside 50 entries, avoiding Hawthorn’s interceptors to provide a scare in the second term with six goals to none before the Hawks steadied. Nick Watson booted five goals, while Mitch Lewis chimed in with three.
Lewis stood tall in the absence of Jack Gunston with three goals and has hit that mark in his last two matches. Watson has booted 16 goals from six matches in 2026, while Gunston has 19 from five.
Jai Newcombe had 24 disposals against the Power and had 25 or more in his three matches prior, while Jack Ginnivan had 20 and has hit that mark in five of his past six.
The Hawks head to UTAS Stadium for the first time this season and have won their past 10 at the venue. They are unbeaten in home matches in 2026.
Gold Coast Suns Form - Suns 4-2 After Dons Win
Gold Coast snapped a two-game losing streak with their nine-point win over Essendon but didn’t have it all their own way, losing the clearance battle and trailing in tackles (71-51).
The game was a high-scoring affair, with Gold Coast kicking 17.17 (119), the fourth time they have passed 100 points in 2026. They come in with a 4-2 win-loss record.
Ben King kicked three goals and leads the AFL goalkicking table with 24 from six matches. Christian Petracca starred with 25 disposals and three goals in his return, while Matt Rowell had 35 disposals, making it two in a row with 30+.
Despite the star power and some big scoring totals, their defensive structure is still a work in progress. Against Hawthorn’s pressure game, that remains a significant vulnerability.
Team News
Hawthorn make seven changes headline the Anzac Day clash, with Jack Gunston back but James Sicily and Dylan Moore suspended. Finn Maginness, Harry Morrison, Jack Dalton and Jack Scrimshaw all return.
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan will make his Gold Coast debut and Noah Anderson returns from appendix surgery. Charlie Ballard and Joel Jeffrey are omitted.