The return of Gary Ablett has helped spark Gold Coast to its second win of the season, a 55-point triumph over North Melbourne, 19.11 (125) to 10.10 (70).

Ablett finished with a team-high 31 disposals, but it was his sheer presence that inspired his teammates to rise to another level after a horrific week for both club and code.

Previously rudderless without Ablett and barely competitive in weeks gone by, it felt like a return to the Suns of old.

Charlie Dixon also had a day out with a career-best seven goals, Aaron Hall chipped in with three and defender Steven May silenced North Melbourne forward Jarrod Waite.

The Suns were rarely troubled against a surprisingly lacklustre Kangaroos outfit and, at one stage, led by as much as 29 points in a dominant first half.

Three North Melbourne goals helped trim the margin back to 11 points at half-time and they appeared to have all the momentum at that stage - only for Gold Coast to fire straight back with three of its own at the start of the third term.

The Kangaroos were never a chance from then on, and the margin blew out as the Suns basked in the glory of an eight-goal final quarter.

The only highlight from a North Melbourne perspective was Lindsay Thomas' mark-of-the-year contender early on, when he rode Adam Saad like a chairlift - and then crashed head-on into the ground, shaken and unable to take his kick.

The loss puts a massive dent into the Kangaroos' finals hopes while Gold Coast has moved off the bottom of the ladder on percentage and past local rivals the Brisbane Lions, who face Fremantle on Sunday.

North's assistant coach Darren Crocker, steering the ship for the last time before senior coach Brad Scott's return from back surgery, conceded the result left the Roos in a "pretty precarious" position on the ladder.

"We'd spoken at length throughout the week that Gold Coast were getting a couple of important players back into their side, which may give them an injection of energy and class," Crocker said.

"If we're going to become the team we want to become, that shouldn't have any bearing about how we go about our football."

GOLD COAST 2.3 5.5 11.9 19.11 (125)
NORTH MELBOURNE 0.4 3.6 6.9 10.10 (70)

GOALS
Gold Coast: Dixon 7, Ablett 3, Hall 3, Brooksby 2, Kolodjashnij, Russell, Hallahan, Sexton
North Melbourne: Petrie 3, Higgins 2, Cunnington 2, Waite, Nahas, Ziebell

BEST
Gold Coast: Kolodashnij, Dixon, May, Ablett, Swallow, Rischitelli
North Melbourne: Macmillan, Goldstein, Cunnington, Nahas

SUBSTITUTES
Gold Coast: Jesse Lonergan replaced Keegan Brooksby at three-quarter time
North Melbourne: Trent Dumont replaced Majak Daw in the third quarter

Official crowd: 14,444 at Metricon Stadium