Gold Coast Suns v North Melbourne
Saturday, March 27 - 8.10pm AEDT
Metricon Stadium
With round one losses for both North Melbourne and Gold Coast, avoiding a 0-2 start to the season will be the target for both sides heading into Saturday’s game.
A second quarter surge in round one saw Port Adelaide defeat North by 52 points, however signs of quality were shown by David Noble's team as it won the first and fourth quarters.
North's round one line-up was the youngest in the competition with an average age of just 24 years and seven days, with 12 players aged 22 or under.
RELATED: Round 2 team
The Suns travelled to Perth, going down by 25 points as West Coast rallied late to overcome the plucky Gold Coast outfit.
The home team will be without gun midfielder Matt Rowell who sustained a PCL injury against the Eagles, while North high-flyer Curtis Taylor will miss the game due to concussion protocols.
Last time we met
Round 14, 2020
This was a tough day at the office for the Roos, as they were outgunned and outclassed by a strong Gold Coast side to the tune of 63 points.
Hugh Greenwood was unstoppable in the midfield for the Suns as he amassed 23 touches and 7 clearances, while Ben Ainsworth had 15 score involvements, from just 23 disposals.
Luke McDonald finished the match with a game-high 28 disposals, while Robbie Tarrant was busy in the back half with 8 intercept possessions.
The matchup
Kayne Turner vs Jack Bowes
Turner took to the field for North for the first time since 2019 last week, and once again thrived in the pressure forward role he’s occupied for most of his career.
Finishing with 12 disposals and 4 tackles, Turner’s pressure, work ethic and on-field leadership have not wavered during his time on the sidelines.
Turner could well be the man tasked with stopping Gold Coast’s influential half back flanker Jack Bowes this Saturday.
Bowes finished with 30 disposals at 100 percent efficiency against the Eagles, with 28 of those being kicks, as well as taking a game-high 14 marks.
If North lets Bowes have the same level control he did in the back half of the ground against the Eagles, he could be in for a game defining performance.
The key men
Luke Davies-Uniacke and Noah Anderson
A pair of young midfielders could be the difference this week.
Davies-Uniacke played what was possibly the best quarter of his young career last week, collecting 12 disposals and a goal against strong Port side as North won the first term.
As the game progressed, LDU’s influence waned as Port Adelaide looked to tag him, but the fourth-year player showed what he is capable of after impressing throughout pre-season. If Gold Coast let him get away from them, it could spell trouble for the Queensland side.
With Rowell unavailable for the foreseeable future, pressure is on Gold Coast’s other midfielders to step up in his absence.
Anderson is one of those who will be tasked in taking his game to the next level as the former number one draft pick sits on the sidelines.
With 19 disposals and three intercepts against the Eagles, Anderson put in a solid performance and North’s midfield will have to work to contain him.
The stat
In his first game as a bona-fide midfielder, Jaidyn Stephenson was absolutely everywhere as he collected a career-high 33 disposals.
Also collecting career-highs for clearances and inside 50s, Stephenson will be looking to improve on one of his career-best games against the Suns.
