The Gold Coast Suns and Collingwood Magpies are both desperate to get on the winners list when they meet today at Metricon Stadium. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 4.35pm AEST.
Safe to say the Suns are having a nightmare of a year. What looked like a breakthrough year for them has been anything but as they’ve been plagued by issues of form and injuries.
Seven weeks into a season in which they were predicted by most to play finals, they’ve got a 1-6 record and are only one rung off the bottom of the ladder.
Collingwood on the other hand enjoyed a strong start to the season, winning four of their first five matches, and had a number of commentators talking them up as a potential finals smokie.
The last two weeks however have proven that talk a bit premature as they were scolded by Geelong and then fell short against a rampaging Richmond.
If the Magpie would still like to style themselves as a finals contender, then this is a game they desperately need to win, and by a comfortable margin too.
Gold Coast simply need a win of any kind at the moment, something to reward the players and staff for what has been a hard and mostly unpleasant slog over the last two months.
The Suns have made three changes going into the game with Zac Smith, Matt Shaw and Greg Broughton all omitted. Adam Saad and Tom Lynch return from injury, and Luke Russell is back in the team also.
Collingwood have lost Alan Toovey to a knee injury and also dropped Patrick Karnezis. Steele Sidebottom returns from injury for what will be just his second game of the year, and Alex Fasolo is back in too.
Prediction
I wouldn’t rule the Suns out of this one – they feel a bit like they are due a good performance and they have a home ground advantage as well. Still, while the Suns definitely have a shot, you’ve got to say Collingwood are the more consistently well-performed side of the two this year, so I’ll tip them.
Collingwood by 18 points.
Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 4.35pm AEST.
Josh
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FULL TIME GOLD COAST 9.9.63 COLLINGWOOD 20.12.132 Pies with a very comfy win.
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GOAL GOLD COAST Tom Nicholls slots his second goal for the night. GOLD COAST 9.9.63 COLLINGWOOD 20.12.132
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GOAL GOLD COAST Alex Sexton kicks a consolation goal for the Suns. GOLD COAST 8.9.57 COLLINGWOOD 20.12.132
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BEHIND GOLD COAST Charlie Dixon kicks a behind. GOLD COAST 7.9.51 COLLINGWOOD 20.12.132
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GOAL COLLINGWOOD Jamie Elliott kicks his fifth, he's had a cracking game. Five minutes left on the clock. GOLD COAST 7.8.50 COLLINGWOOD 20.12.132
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BEHIND COLLINGWOOD Jarryd Blair kicks a behind. GOLD COAST 7.8.50 COLLINGWOOD 19.12.126
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GOAL COLLINGWOOD Pies piling the goals on now. Brodie Grundy, who has had a quiet day, gets this one. GOLD COAST 7.8.50 COLLINGWOOD 19.11.125
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BEHIND COLLINGWOOD Rushed behind to the Pies. GOLD COAST 7.8.50 COLLINGWOOD 18.11.119
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GOAL COLLINGWOOD Four goals for Jamie Elliott. GOLD COAST 7.8.50 COLLINGWOOD 18.10.118
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GOAL COLLINGWOOD Alex Fasolo kicks a third goal, solid return to the team for him. GOLD COAST 7.8.50 COLLINGWOOD 17.10.112
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BEHIND GOLD COAST Brandon Matera kicks a behind. GOLD COAST 7.8.50 COLLINGWOOD 16.10.106
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GOAL COLLINGWOOD Travis Cloke kicks a goal, but doesn't look happy about it. GOLD COAST 7.7.49 COLLINGWOOD 16.10.106
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GOAL GOLD COAST Tom Nicholls finds loose ball in the goalsquare and slots a goal for the Suns. First since the middle of the second quarter. GOLD COAST 7.7.49 COLLINGWOOD 15.10.100
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BEHIND COLLINGWOOD Jarryd Blair misses a set shot. GOLD COAST 6.7.43 COLLINGWOOD 15.10.100
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BEHIND COLLINGWOOD Jesse White misses a running shot on goal. GOLD COAST 6.7.43 COLLINGWOOD 15.9.99
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Final term underway.
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Five goals to none in that quarter turned the Pies lead from comfortable to unassailable. 55 points up at the final change, only question left is how much the final margin will be.
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3-QUARTER TIME GOLD COAST 6.7.43 COLLINGWOOD 15.8.98