North Melbourne have won just their second game of 2024, downing the Suns at Marvel Stadium by four points, 12.9 (87) to 12.11 (83).
Roos young guns Colby McKercher and Harry Sheezel were immense for their side, racking up 37 and 35 disposals respectively.
Luke Davies-Uniacke, who looks increasingly likely to re-sign with the club despite external trade noise, was also a key contributor with 30 touches and a goal.
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It leaves the Suns still without a win on the road in 2024, and now loitering on the fringes of an elusive finals campaign.
Suns veteran Sam Day started like a house on fire, taking six contested marks and booting two majors before he was ruled out of the remainder of the game with a foot injury on the stroke of three-quarter time.
Roos outlast Suns to jump off last spot | 01:10
The 3-2-1...
3 – ROOS SPRING SHOCK UPSET OVER SUNS IN MARVEL BELTER
In a Marvel Stadium boilover, North Melbourne have handed Gold Coast a devastating reality check with a magnificent four-point win at Marvel Stadium.
In a match that see-sawed all afternoon, Alastair Clarkson’s side in the end doubled their win count for 2024, holding off a late Suns surge to move off the bottom of the ladder.
Led magnificently in the midfield by usual suspects Luke Davies-Uniacke, Harry Sheezel and Tristan Xerri – along with first-year Colby McKercher off half-back, the Kangaroos proved that their fleeting form in the last month now counts for something in the form of four points.
Sheezel (35 disposals), Davies-Uniacke (30) and Xerri (17, 35 hitouts) comprehensively beat the Suns in the engine room, as the former two combined for 19 clearances.
And their midfield dominance didn’t stop there, as the Roos rallied 16 more clearances than Damien Hardwick’s side.
The match was certainly chaotic at times, but within it all, it became clear that Clarkson’s side had the extra spark that his opponents didn’t.
“It’s been fast footy, it’s been quite exciting to be here and witness this – it’s been ebbs and flows, North Melbourne had control early, (then) Gold Coast finally got their pressure right – but in that second quarter alone, North controlled most of it,” Western Bulldogs legend Brad Johnson explained at half time.
“Their midfielders have been sensational; it’s all North Melbourne in terms of what they’re able to do around the ball, and then go with speed at the right time.”
But perhaps the most damning stat of all was the comparison in each side’s disposal efficiency – the Kangaroos (78.8%) smoking the Suns (68%) by over 10 per cent across the game.
Noah Anderson (30 disposals, one goal) rallied hard for the visitors, but Gold Coast’s lacklustre output in the attacking half – excluding veteran Sam Day – eventually cost them any chance of a win that they so desperately needed.
As mentioned, ‘LDU’s’ performance was as game-breaking as they come in the first half, and was filled with praise at the main break for wrestling back the lead from Gold Coast.
“We spoke about the inside game, he’s been pivotal through there – he’s got 17 disposals and a goal, but when you need a lift, he is one of those guys that likes to stroll the sleeves up and get dirty,” Hawks great Ben Dixon said.
“What I like about it as well, is that he was quiet last week against the Bulldogs – (he’s) a proud performer, in the midfield, leading the way for North Melbourne off a quiet one … the coach would absolutely love that,” Johnson added.
And despite the heart-stopping win, there was one more highlight that shone through in the first half, as young midfielder Tom Powell launched a mammoth torpedo to get the crowd off its feet for North’s third goal of the match.
“Powell saw they were out goal side; he’s kicked a 70-metre bomb to set up Shiels – one of the great goal assists of the season!” St Kilda great Leigh Montagna exclaimed on commentary.
“It’s the Hail Mary that comes off,” Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton added.
2 – SUNS TRAVEL HOODOO CONTINUES IN DAMNING FINALS BLOW
Gold Coast’s shock loss has completely shot their finals chances, and given their awful record away from People First Stadium, now look extremely likely to miss finals once again.
And on top of what is already a major blow to coach Damien Hardwick, the former Tigers premiership coach continues his diabolical record at Marvel Stadium.
The Suns started sluggishly, but looked to have find their way back in the game – mostly thanks to veteran forward Sam Day and his work in the contest.
Their two-goal lead at quarter time swung to a one-goal deficit at the main break, before extending to 13 points after the penultimate quarter.
Several momentum swings weren’t enough to get their side over the line, and again – despite everyone’s best wishes – leaves the Suns ineligible to be taken seriously as a side who can make finals, let alone make waves in September.
Speaking pre-game to Fox Footy, Hardwick alluded that the game wouldn’t be anywhere near as easy as some may suspect.
“We’ve got to get it (inside 50) 60+ times … provided we get that sort of template, we’re reasonably happy,” Hardwick said.
The Suns ended up with 62 inside 50’s for the match – 14 more than North Melbourne – but it wasn’t enough in the end.
“They’re a different side – we played them in Round 9, but they’re playing as good a footy as they’ve played all year,” Hardwick continued on the Kangaroos.
“This side is well on the march if that makes sense, and we’ve got to understand that this is their home deck, they’re a loud, proud footy club (and) they’re going to be a challenge today.”
The Suns will now need to win at least four – but likely five – of their last seven games of the season to secure a maiden finals berth.
And with matches still to come against Port Adelaide, GWS (away), Brisbane, Essendon (away) and Melbourne, their off-season may come much sooner than preferred.
Hardwick didn’t hold back in his post-match press conference, sharing some eye-raising words for fans and stakeholders alike.
1 – DAY’S DAY RUINED AFTER RECORD START
In his 14th year at the franchise club, veteran Sam Day played out of his skin in the first half, before a cruel foot injury ended his day early at Marvel.
And while the seriousness of his injury is still yet to be determined, his absence in the last quarter was evident in a Gold Coast forward line that failed to stand up against North.
Registering a whopping four contested marks in the first term, Day equalled the record for the most ever taken in an opening quarter – drawing level with Carlton’s Ben McKay.
His back-to-back goals in the same first term played a massive part in Gold Coast’s biggest swing of momentum for the match – with a goal assist also of great value.
Having now kicked 10 goals in five games, Day’s career revival has been invaluable to Hardwick and co, as highlighted by Fox Footy analysis at the main break.
“Sam Day, what a first half – five contested marks, a career-high for himself (and) kicked two goals from eight disposals – the real pivotal man up in the front half so far,” Dixon said.
“They’ve used the ball fast … they’ve turned quickly and gone to the one-on-one battles, which I think has helped Day,” Johnson added.
“(He’s played) on Comben, who hasn’t really been beaten throughout the entire season in one-on-one battles; his timing’s been completely off, and Day’s capitalised off the back of it.
“He’s had an excellent first half.”
Playing just his 18th game at the top level in four years, Day had only worked his way back into the side full-time in the last few weeks on the back of a three-goal performance against Fremantle a fortnight ago.
He was also dropped after a three-goal performance against Geelong earlier in the year.
The 155-gamer remains out of contract beyond 2024, however at 31 years of age is still more than capable of playing in years to come.
NORTH MELBOURNE v GOLD COAST - AS IT HAPPENED
There are no late changes at Marvel, with Curtis Taylor (Kangaroos) and Bailey Humphrey (Suns) named the subs for their respective sides.
After intrigue around who North tagger Will Phillips would go to, the young gun lined up on Sun Matt Rowell at the opening bounce.
Conversely, David Swallow has lined up on key defender Charlie Comben at the first bounce, playing a defensive forward role on the in-form tall.
Roos ruck Tristan Xerri drew first blood under the roof on Saturday afternoon, converting his seventh set shot for the season to give his side an early seven-point lead.
Mid-season draftee Brynn Teakle clunked a great contested mark a couple of minutes later, before also slotting from a set shot to give the Roos a fast start.
“Dylan Stephens with a fast start for the Kangaroos as well - five disposals (in the first five minutes), he needs to turn this into a big game with the start that he’s had,” Western Bulldogs great Brad Johnson said on Fox Footy’s live coverage.
And from nowhere, young gun Tom Powell launched an absolute monster torpedo from the back of the centre square to help set up veteran Liam Shiels and push the margin out to 19 points.
“Powell saw they were out goal side, he’s kicked a 70 metre bomb to set up Shiels – one of the great goal assists of the season!” Montagna exclaimed on commentary.
“It’s the Hail Mary that comes off,” Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton added.
However, Gold Coast went on to kick the next five goals straight heading into quarter time two goal leaders.
Ben Ainsworth kicked off proceedings with the visitors’ first goal in the 16th minute of the quarter, before veteran forward Sam Day ran riot in the contest.
The 31-year-old kicked two goals in a minute to level the scores
Will Graham and Jack Lukosius finished he quarter with goals also, jumping an initially
The scoreboard read: North Melbourne 3.1 (19) trailing Gold Coast 5.1 (31) at the first break.
Day recorded a whopping four contested marks in the opening quarter - the equal-most by any player in the AFL in the first quarter since the stat was recorded.
Guns Nick Larkey and Luke Davies-Uniacke evened the ledger with a goal each in the first five minutes, before a Cam Zurhaar point from the boundary regained North’s lead by a solitary point.
And through an unlikely source, Toby Pink snapped truly after making the most of a questionable handball across goal from Noah Anderson.
Larkey converted his second set shot for the match to put the Suns right on the back foot and now back to 13 points down.
Noah Anderson bought one back with composure, as a career-high fifth contested mark from Day helped assist the Suns in bringing the margin back down to eight points.
However, not long after, Kallan Dawson thumped his first goal in AFL from outside the arc in a lovely highlight for fans at Marvel Stadium.
Ben King was the last to hit the scoreboard in the first half with both a goal and behind, leaving his side just one goal behind at the main break.
The half-time score read: North Melbourne 8.3 (51) leading Gold Coast 7.3 45.
In a beautiful play, Mac Andrew kicked his first goal in AFL during his 34th game at the top level - and gave the Suns back a one-point lead.
Zurhaar and Larkey steadied the flow for North with their first and third goal for the match respectively, before Ben Long made amends for a shot on goal earlier that glanced the goal post every so slightly.
Harry Sheezel kicked the final major of the penultimate quarter, with a Ben Ainsworth shot from outside 50 after the three-quarter time siren not making the distance for a score.
The scoreboard at the final break read: North Melbourne 11.7 (73) to Gold Coast’s 9.6 (60).
Sam Day looked in severe discomfort on the brink of the third quarter siren, with the Suns confirming he will take no further part in the match after a foot concern.
Teakle kicked his second for the match to open the last term, giving the Kangaroos a crucial three-goal lead with less than a quarter to play.
The Suns kicked three minor scores, before Long kicked his second with a timely soccer off the ground.
A Sam Flanders conversion went through truly almost instantly, and narrowed his side’s deficit to just four points.
After a quiet day in front of the big sticks, it was Paul Curtis who answered importantly for the hosts - converting his first goal for the day from set shot to give Alastair Clarkson’s men some breathing space.
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