Essendon have been left to rue what might have been after suffering a one-point loss to Gold Coast, via a goal after the siren, to let their AFL finals hopes effectively slip away.
Six days after giving their season a pulse with victory over Fremantle, the Bombers undid their good work in an error-plagued 13.9 (87) to 12.14 (86) defeat at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
The Bombers kicked 1.9 in the final quarter as they threw away what should have been a victory, before Suns big man Mac Andrew took a pack mark in the dying seconds and kicked truly to bring them undone - then shushed the Essendon crowd in delight.
It was Gold Coast's first away win of the season.
The Bombers (46 points) sit ninth, two points behind Carlton and the Western Bulldogs and two ahead of 10th-placed Hawthorn, with games against Sydney (home) and Brisbane (away) to come.
Realistically, they will need to deliver two upset wins, then have other results go their way, in order to make finals.
"I think it's pretty obvious how everyone's feeling," coach Brad Scott said.
"For all of our supporters and the club, it's just extremely frustrating. And you can come up all sorts of words to describe it, but you're obviously disappointed, but that doesn't help anything.
"You don't need me to necessarily recite the statistics to you.
"But in the last quarter, the ball's in your front half for 84 per cent of the quarter, and you have 19 inside-50s to eight, you have 11 scoring shots to two, you're giving yourself opportunity, aren't you?
"So that's that's the hardest thing in footy - the execution.
"It comes with practice, and we need to drill that better but it's just extremely frustrating because the hardest thing is giving yourself an opportunity and in the last quarter we certainly did that."
Suns midfielder Matt Rowell did a power of work, racking up 33 disposals and nine clearances.
It proved an engaging midfield duel with gun Bombers Darcy Parish (27 disposals) and Zach Merrett (32).
Andrew kicked four goals while spearhead Ben King also snared three goals and Jed Walter kicked two.
Essendon young gun Nate Caddy kicked three goals along with ruckman Sam Draper, but Sam Collins held the fort down back.
Gold Coast flew out of the blocks and led by a point at quarter-time.
Bombers big man Nik Cox (concussion), who had been marking Andrew, was substituted midway through the second term.
There was a big melee right on half-time, with Essendon up by 11.
Andrew could come under some match review officer scrutiny after throwing some jumper punches, including appearing to catch Bomber Archie Roberts in the head.
He then snagged the first two goals of the third quarter to put the Suns back in front, and Gold Coast led by four points at the final change.
Roberts kicked a wonderful goal to put the Bombers back in front.
But Essendon wasted golden chances to extend their lead - with Jake Stringer alone kicking three points.
Then Andrew had his chance - and took it.
"It's something that every kid dreams of," Andrew told Fox Footy.
Coach Damien Hardwick added: "He absolutely loves that moment - he lives for it. And that's the sort of player he is.
"I've been lucky to coach some matchwinners along the way - he's a matchwinner."
The Suns (13th) next host Melbourne then finish their season against Richmond at the MCG.
"Good sides - and we're on the way to becoming that - they win ugly," Hardwick said.
"Finally, the Marvel gods smiled on us today."
