Canberra Demons stung by Aspley Hornets in NEAFL

The Demons' hopes of climbing back into the top six took a hit in an 80-point loss to the Aspley Hornets at Voxson Oval on Saturday.

A win would have lifted the Demons into the top six - albeit with two months still to play - but now a 21.13 (139) to 9.5 (59) defeat has seen them fall back to eighth.

The resurgent Gold Coast Suns climbed off the canvas to stun the Sydney Swans - and in doing so leapfrogged Canberra on the competition ladder.

It has turned the race for the sixth finals spot into a three-horse race between the Demons, Suns and Sydney University with all three sides locked on 16 points.

The fifth-placed Hornets are now two games clear of that pack.

Klemke has been left to rue a lack of fight in the Demons when the going gets tough, and he will be desperate for a change of fortunes in the run home.

"At the end of the day it's just not good enough for us, considering this was a massive game for our season," Klemke said.

"Every game we play now is important. This is not the end of the season for us, we're lucky that we've got the better side of the draw in the competition.

"It's really for us to lose [a finals spot], but if we play like we did today, we're not going to beat Sydney Uni [next week].

"Hopefully we can turn it around pretty quick. If we can bring what we did in that second half, then that will get us through. We just keep having those lapses."

The Demons trailed by 80 points at half-time but managed to stem the flow in the third term, however resistance would ultimately prove futile.

Try as they might, Harry Carr's three goals or Angus Baker's 29 disposals could not save a lacklustre Demons outfit against a rampaging Hornets side.

Canberra has just seven days to regroup ahead of a clash with sixth-placed Sydney University.

NEAFL ROUND 13

ASPLEY HORNETS 21.13 (119) bt CANBERRA DEMONS (9.5 (59).

Goals: Aspley: C Stackelberg 4, W Murphy 3, J Freeman 3, L Hampton 3, T Baulch 2, J Ives 2, M Payne, J Spencer, C Carseldine, J Hayden. Canberra: H Carr 3, L Meline 2, A Bruce, J Harper, L Lupton, M Maguire.