A late fadeout has cost struggling Gold Coast yet again with North Melbourne cruising home to a 37-point AFL victory at Etihad Stadium.
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Final score
North Melbourne Kangaroos 14.11.95
Gold Coast Suns 8.10.58
The Gold Coast Suns travel to Etihad Stadium looking to regain some respect against the North Melbourne Kangaroos. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 1:10pm (AEST).
The Kangaroos are coming off a tough loss to the Essendon Bombers where they uncharacteristically conceded over 100 points. North’s biggest strength this season has been their ability to defend and not concede large scores, but that went right out the door against the Bombers.
It certainly isn’t a time to panic for Brad Scott, but he needs to find a way to get his team playing more like the North Melbourne of the first half of the season. They haven’t quite been the same since that big victory against the Brisbane Lions back at the beginning of June.
This week presents an opportunity to find some of that sparkling form they showed at the beginning of the season, and potentially give themselves a percentage-booster, but they would need to be at their best for that to occur.
In team news for the Kangaroos, Mason Wood (injured) and Tom Murphy (omitted) make way for Ben Jacobs and Cameron Zurhaar.
As for the Suns, they are coming off a loss to the Collingwood Magpies. There’s no shame in that considering the way the Magpies are playing this season, but they would have liked to have shown more to their home crowd last week.
There’s no denying it’s a worrying time for the Suns and the AFL. I often sit back and wonder how different the landscape would look if they were able to retain key players that have walked out the door, but it appears as if it’s only going to get worse.
Tom Lynch looks like he’s played his last game for the club after his season was ended due to an injury, so with that being the case, it makes it difficult to mount a case for the Suns gaining anything out of this week.
There is a good story this week for the Suns who finally have a player to reach 100 games with the club in Rory Thompson.
In team news for the Gold Coast, Ben Ainsworth (injured) and Jacob Dawson (omitted) make way for Callum Ah Chee and Will Brodie.
Prediction
It is a game the Kangaroos cannot afford to drop due to the competition for a spot in finals so even, so I expect that to be enough of a motivator to not let complacency kick in against a side that is seriously struggling in the Suns.
North Melbourne by 29.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 1:10pm (AEST).
Paul D
Roar Guru
The suns are a giant waste of space time and money.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Thanks Lachlan good call. Go the 'roos.
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Thoughts on that Roarers?
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Full Time North Melbourne have defeated the Gold Coast Suns at Etihad Stadium to keep their finals hopes alive. Ben Brown was crucial again for the Kangaroos kicking four majors. The Suns challenged North in the second quarter, but North were dominant in every other quarter and it showed.
North Melbourne Kangaroos: 14.11 (95) Gold Coast Suns: 8.10 (58)
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Behind 01.55 - Ah Chee marks inside 50, but misses on the set shot.
North Melbourne Kangaroos: 14.11 (95) Gold Coast Suns: 8.10 (58)
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Behind 02.28 - Wright with the snap for the Suns, but he misses.
North Melbourne Kangaroos: 14.11 (95) Gold Coast Suns: 8.9 (57)
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Behind 03.14 - Atley misses another opportunity.
North Melbourne Kangaroos: 14.11 (95) Gold Coast Suns: 8.8 (56)
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Behind 05.06 - Minor for North, again.
North Melbourne Kangaroos: 14.10 (94) Gold Coast Suns: 8.8 (56)
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Behind 06.47 - Minor for North as Simpkin's effort was touched on the line.
North Melbourne Kangaroos: 14.9 (93) Gold Coast Suns: 8.8 (56)
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Behind 07.41 - Minor for North.
North Melbourne Kangaroos: 14.8 (92) Gold Coast Suns: 8.8 (56)
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Goal 08.40 - Young strolls into an open goal and gets one for the Suns.
North Melbourne Kangaroos: 14.7 (91) Gold Coast Suns: 8.8 (56)
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Behind 12.19 - Minor for the Suns.
North Melbourne Kangaroos: 14.7 (91) Gold Coast Suns: 7.8 (50)
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Goal 13.02 - Holman marks directly in front of goal and he gets one back for the Suns.
North Melbourne Kangaroos: 14.7 (91) Gold Coast Suns: 7.7 (49)
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Goal 15.25 - Brown awarded a free directly in front and he converts from the set shot.
North Melbourne Kangaroos: 14.7 (91) Gold Coast Suns: 6.7 (43)
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Goal 18.16 - Daw lines it up from 50 and gets another!
North Melbourne Kangaroos: 13.7 (85) Gold Coast Suns: 6.7 (43)
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Behind 19.12 - Minor for North.
North Melbourne Kangaroos: 12.7 (79) Gold Coast Suns: 6.7 (43)
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Final quarter underway!
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Gold Coast doing a good job of holding North up.
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Three-Quarter Time Solid quarter of footy from North. Got the game back on their terms, they just need to continue in this fashion.
North Melbourne Kangaroos: 12.6 (78) Gold Coast Suns: 6.7 (43)
Lachlan Ballingall
Roar Guru
Behind 01.02 - Minor for North.
North Melbourne Kangaroos: 12.6 (78) Gold Coast Suns: 6.7 (43)