Gold Coast Suns v North Melbourne
Sunday, August 30 - 6.10pm AEST
Metricon Stadium

Sunday’s clash showcases two teams in need of premiership points, having combined for just two wins since Round 5. 

Having started the season brightly, the Suns and Roos have fallen away in the latter half of the year, sitting in 14^th and 17^th respectively. 

The Suns’ exciting young team has shown it can mix it with the best, and will enter the match as favourites.

North has been decimated by injury this year and has only 28 players available, but having beaten Gold Coast on its own turf last season, it will be confident of a good result.  

Last time we met 

Round 12, 2019
North Melbourne 14.15.99 def Gold Coast 11.6.72

Captain Jack Ziebell stole the show in his 200^th game, starring with 2 goals and 28 disposals.

After Will Brodie kicked the first of the night, the Roos took control, kicking 7 goals to 1 in the first term, holding a comfortable margin throughout the contest.

Ben Cunnington was excellent in midfield with 31 disposals, while 2 goals for Tarryn Thomas earned him a Rising Star nomination.

The matchup

Nick Larkey v Sam Collins

With Ben Brown out injured, Larkey has stepped up to become the number 1 forward.

The number 20 has shown he can handle the responsibility, with 11 goals in 6 games.

He will face a tough test on Sunday in Collins.

Collins’ form has seen him enter All Australian discussions, with the fullback ranked third in the league for intercept marks 

The key men 

Luke McDonald and Jack Lukosious

Despite the Roos’ woes of late, McDonald has hit a purple patch of form, transforming himself into an elite rebounding defender.

Since Round 9, in which he notched up a career-high 35 disposals, McDonald has averaged 28 disposals, 6.8 marks and 8.2 rebound 50s.

His 121 effective kicks places him eighth overall in the AFL, one spot above Sunday’s opponent, Lukosious.

Drafted as a forward, Lukosious’ move to defence has been a highly successful one.

The second-year player has been lethal coming out of defence, with his 69 rebound 50s the fourth most in the AFL. 

The stat 

Gold Coast and North have the equal most Rising Star nominations in the past two seasons, with five each.

The teams

Gold Coast

B: C.Budarick, S.Collins, J.Lukosius
HB: W.Powell, C.Graham, C.Ballard
C: L.Weller, H.Greenwood, B.Ellis
HF: N.Anderson, S.Day, B.Ainsworth
F: I.Rankine, B.King, J.Corbett
FOLL: J.Witts, D.Swallow, T.Miller
I/C: J.Bowes, A.Sexton, S.Flanders, D.MacPherson
EMG: W.Brodie, B.Fiorini, P.Wright, J.Dawson
IN: A.Sexton, D.MacPherson
OUT: J.Harbrow (injured), S.Lemmens (omitted)

North Melbourne

B: T.Murphy, R.Tarrant, M.Williams
HB: S.Atley, B.McKay, L.McDonald
C: T.Dumont, J.Simpkin, S.Higgins
HF: M.Wood, N.Larkey, C.Zurhaar
F: A.Hall, J.Walker, L.Hosie
FOLL: T.Goldstein, L.Davies-Uniacke, J.Anderson
I/C: M.Daw, B.Scott, P.Ahern, E.Vickers-Willis
EMG: S.Durdin, J.Crocker, M.McGuinness, T.Campbell
IN: A.Hall, M.Daw
OUT: J.Mahony, T.Xerri

The scoreboard was bad enough for North Melbourne but told only half the story, as Gold Coast ended its six-match winless streak with an emphatic 63-point victory on Sunday night. 

From the moment a manhandled Brandon Ellis managed to throw the ball on to his left boot for a goal in the second minute of the match, it was one-way traffic at Metricon Stadium. 

The Suns led by nine points at quarter-time, 25 at the half and 34 at the final change before running out 12.19 (91) to 4.4 (28) victors. 

It could have been so much more but for some terribly inaccurate kicking. 

It was the Suns' first win since round seven against Sydney, with just a draw against Essendon giving them any satisfaction between times.

Again it was the young stars that shone brightest, with Ben Ainsworth playing arguably his best game for the club, Noah Anderson strengthening his case for the NAB Rising Star Award and Izak Rankine showing glimpses of his genius.

Ainsworth gathered 23 disposals and 11 marks, including an incredible 15 score involvements, while Anderson played more on-ball than his usual wing position, finishing with 23 touches and five clearances.

Alex Sexton kicked four goals in his return from being dropped, while Ben King kicked 2.4 – a big bag looks just around the corner.

It was a horror night for the Kangaroos who lost their fifth straight game and did not kick a goal in the second half. 

They were beaten soundly around the ball, losing the clearance count 36-21, and committed simple turnover after simple turnover that led to Gold Coast scoring opportunities. 

After being moved from Izak Rankine early in the match, Luke McDonald (27 disposals) tried hard, while Jed Anderson (20) continued a strong season.

Pep back in Rankine's step

After a blistering start to his career, Izak Rankine has been well below his best the past two rounds. However, following the Suns' nine-day break, the 20-year-old wizard was back to his clever, elusive best. He missed an early left-foot snap but ran rings around Luke McDonald in the first quarter, kicking a goal, setting up one for Ben King and beautifully weighting a pass for Josh Corbett, only for the forward to miss a simple set shot. His first quarter was instrumental in setting up victory. 

Dueling speccies – or were they?

Two of the best marks of the night came within five minutes of each other in the second quarter – but both had a touch of controversy about them. Mason Wood launched his knee into the middle of Charlie Ballard's back late in the term to soar high above the pack, but as he juggled the ball and hit the ground, it appeared to pop out. On the stroke of half-time it was Sam Day's turn to submit his nomination for Mark of the Week, hauling in a terrific contested grab three deep in the pack. As the Suns forward lay on the ground, the controlling umpire admitted he couldn't see if the mark was spilled. Both players kicked their set shots. One-all, play on. 

Witts takes the points over Goldstein

Todd Goldstein is having an All-Australian calibre season in the ruck for North Melbourne, but Gold Coast co-captain Jarrod Witts did a fantastic job against him. Goldstein has forged his 2020 reputation on not only having influence with his hit-outs, but excelling with his clearance work, but Witts went stride-for-stride all night. 'Goldy' finished with 14 disposals, including five clearances, while Witts ended up with 16 and four clearances. Most importantly, Gold Coast won the stoppage count 36-21.

GOLD COAST             3.4       7.8       8.14     12.19 (91)
NORTH MELBOURNE          2.1       4.1       4.4       4.4 (28)

GOALS
Gold Coast: Sexton 4, King 2, Day 2, Ainsworth, Anderson, Ellis, Rankine
North Melbourne: Wood 2, Hall, Zurhaar

BEST
Gold Coast: Ainsworth, Anderson, Miller, Greenwood, Weller, Witts, Rankine
North Melbourne: Anderson, Tarrant, Simpkin, McDonald 

INJURIES
Gold Coast: Nil
North Melbourne: Nil