Melbourne have revived their AFLW flag push with a 12-point win over Gold Coast, who face a nervous wait for the results of scans on star defender Lauren Ahrens' injured knee.
Karen Paxman and Lily Mithen starred in the engine room as the Demons bounced back from their first defeat of the season with a hard-fought 5.8 (38) to 4.2 (26) victory at Casey Fields.
They were held goalless for most of the first half but kicked four in a quick burst either side of the main break to take control of the contest.
The Suns' chances took a further hit late in the third quarter when Ahrens' left knee twisted under the weight of a Taya Harris tackle.
The defender, who won Gold Coast's best-and-fairest last year and had foot surgery in the off-season, stayed down for several minutes before hobbling off the field.
Ahrens' setback could be another serious blow to the Suns' back line after they lost Jade Pregelj to a torn anterior cruciate ligament last week.
Gold Coast will also assess Kalinda Howarth after she left the field with a shoulder injury late in the final term on Saturday night.
There were more than 90 tackles laid in a tight and physical first half as Melbourne wasted a series of chances in front of goal.
They were made to pay when Alison Drennan kicked the opener for the Suns late in the second quarter before Daisy Pearce and Eliza McNamara replied, giving the Demons a 10-point lead at the main break.
Harris missed multiple shots before kicking her first goal from a free kick to push the margin out to 23 points midway through the third term.
Gold Coast kicked the last two goals of the game but never got close enough to seriously threaten a boilover.
Melbourne's big guns fired, with Paxman (16 disposals and 10 tackles), Mithen (16 and 12) and Eden Zanker (18 and eight) in the thick of the action.
Harris finished as the game's only multiple goal-kicker with two majors.
Jamie Stanton was Gold Coast's best with 16 disposals and kicked a goal in the final term on the end of a sweeping passage of play that began deep in defence.
It cut the margin to 19 points but Stanton missed another chance from deep in the pocket moments later that could have dragged the Suns back into the contest.
Howarth had 11 disposals and kicked a classy late goal before being crunched in a Mithen tackle.
