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Melbourne Demons vs Gold Coast Suns: AFL live scores, blog

27th May, 2017
Where: TIO Traegar Park, Alice Springs
When: 4:05pm ACST
TV: live on Fox Footy
Betting: Melbourne $1.38, Gold Coast $3.05
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Roar Guru
27th May, 2017
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Match result:

Melbourne have pushed their way into the AFL top eight teams with a dramatic 35-point comeback win over Gold Coast in Alice Springs.

» Click here to read the full match report

Final score
Melbourne Demons 18.14.122
Gold Coast Suns 13.9.87

Match preview:

The Melbourne Demons will look to bag their first win in Alice Springs when they face a Gold Coast Suns outfit missing midfield superstar Gary Ablett this afternoon. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match from 4:35pm (AEST).

The Demons will return to TIO Traegar Park for the first time since their 45-point loss to Port Adelaide in Round 10 of last season as they strive to make amends for a 14-point loss to the Roos on the weekend.

They outdid Brad Scott’s men in a number of key areas on Sunday, winning the disposal count (371-363), contested possession count (147-144) and more, but again showed how big a loss is injured ruckman Max Gawn.

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North ruckman Todd Goldstein had a field day at the ‘G, dominating former Roo Cameron Pedersen to record 61 hit-outs to Pedersen’s 18 en route to his side winning the count 67-28.

Sitting on four wins and five losses, Simon Goodwin’s men have an eye on getting back to parity in a push to claw back into the top eight.

They could definitely do so given they sit just one win behind positions sixth through to tenth and boast a higher percentage than each of those five teams bar the sixth-placed Port.

Melbourne are currently perched in 11th on the ladder on 16 points.

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Meeting the Dees in the Top End will be a Gold Coast side floundering in 15th on the ladder and missing their only likely saviour in Ablett.

It remains to be seen if the Queensland outfit have reaped the rewards of a Round 9 bye after being humiliated to the tune of 72 points in China the week prior.

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The Suns’ top-eight hopes will take a dive this afternoon if they aren’t able to find a win over Melbourne.

In line-up news, the Demons’ James Harmes, Jake Melksham and Alex Neal-Bullen will come in for Dean Kent (omitted), Christian Salem (suspension) and Sam Weideman (omitted) respectively.

Meanwhile, the Gold Coast’s Will Brodie, David Swallow and Pearce Hanley have been named to replace Jack Bowes (illness), Keegan Brooksby (omitted) and Ablett (shoulder).

Prediction
Expect the Dees to get their season back on track.

They have shown in the early stages of 2017 that they can compete with quality sides, having overcome Adelaide and having pushed a humming Tigers outfit to the final siren three weeks prior.

So they shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a win over the Gold Coast.

A win will be hard to come by for the Suns given the absence of Ablett, a huge blow sure to place too much responsibility in the hands of fellow midfielders Aaron Hall and Michael Barlow.

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Alas, stranger things have happened.

Melbourne by 25.

Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match from 4:35pm (AEST).

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