In wet conditions, the Suns restricted the high-flying Dockers to just four goals as they backed up last weekend's win over Sydney at the SCG with a 10.9 (68) to 4.9 (33) victory on Sunday.

The win lifts the Suns to a 4-5 record and to the fringe of the top eight despite having faced all of the current top six including premiers Melbourne, and Brisbane.

It also sets up a huge match next weekend in Ballarat against the ninth-placed Western Bulldogs, who are also 4-5.

"We've just got to keep going," Sun coach Stuart Dew said.

"The ladder is still settling, it takes a little while.

"There's clearly a couple of stand-out teams up the front, but then there's a big glut of teams there and we certainly want to be in the mix.

"The maturity to back up a win, (that) hasn't been our strength before, but I think we're built a little bit different this year.

"We've put the work in and we'll continue to have challenges, but I think we're going to see more of that than not."

Despite the tricky conditions, Mabior Chol managed four goals for the Suns, while fellow recruit Levi Casboult had two.

Izak Rankine didn't find a major but picked up 11 score involvements in an all-action display across the forward line, while co-captains Jarrod Witts (29 hitouts, eight tackles) and Touk Miller (34 disposals, eight tackles, 10 clearances) led from the front.

Young guns Noah Anderson (26 disposals) and Matt Rowell (eight tackles) dominated the middle while another ex-Richmond player Brandon Ellis (21 disposals, seven marks, four clearances) had one of his best games in a Suns jumper.

Ex-Docker Sam Collins was a mountain in defence and part of the reason Dockers coach Justin Longmuir was left to rue his team's inability to convert, having won the inside-50 count 65-36.

"We just didn't look dangerous forward of the ball all day. We had 17 inside-50s for two goals in the first quarter," Longmuir said.

"We didn't have composure to create opportunities and they were really good. We lost ground ball significantly at both ends of the ground and that denied scores at our end and created scores at their end.

"Their method was better around the contest and their execution in the conditions was much better."

The only real highlight for Longmuir's team was a first AFL goal for Neil Erasmus in the first term, with the Dockers left with plenty to ponder on their trip back to Perth.

Fremantle host Collingwood at Optus Stadium next week.

Australian Associated Press