All of a sudden this is a huge match with ramifications for both teams who sit two wins outside the top eight. North momentarily buried its last quarter demons with a rout of St Kilda last weekend, while Gold Coast continued to show a profound improvement against the competition heavyweights despite a last quarter fade-out against Geelong. A loss by the Kangaroos could prove terminal to their finals chances, and a win is far from a foregone conclusion against a Suns outfit that is consistently getting contributions from their younger brigade like Dion Prestia, Jaeger O'Meara and Rory Thompson. Both teams are exciting and love to spread the ball, so don't be surprised if there are quite a few goals in this one.
WHERE AND WHEN: Metricon Stadium, Saturday June 8, 7.40pm
TV AND RADIO: Click here for broadcast guide and odds
LAST FIVE TIMES
R12, 2012: North Melbourne 11.21 (87) d Gold Coast 12.8 (80) at Metricon Stadium
R5, 2012: North Melbourne 17.25 (127) d Gold Coast 13.15 (93) at Etihad Stadium
R12, 2011: North Melbourne 18.14 (122) d Gold Coast 9.9 (63) at Metricon Stadium
THE SIX POINTS
1. Gold Coast and North Melbourne clashed twice in 2012, with the Kangaroos winning both times. In round five they overcame a half-time deficit to win by 34 points and in round 12, they edged the Suns by seven points at Metricon Stadium.
2. North Melbourne is undefeated in three clashes between the teams, but Gold Coast skipper Gary Ablett has polled five Brownlow Medal votes.
3. North Melbourne knows Metricon Stadium well, playing at the venue 12 times for nine wins. Three of their last five games at Metricon have been decided by less than 10 points.
4. North Melbourne is ranked third in 2013 for total goals kicked – averaging more than 16 per match – while the Suns are ranked 12th at just under 13.
5. Both the Suns and Roos are strong clearance teams, with North Melbourne ranked second and Gold Coast sixth.
6. They are worlds apart on the Official AFL Player Ratings, but the Drew Petrie-Rory Thompson match-up should be crucial. Petrie is ranked 53rd overall (seventh among forwards), and while Thompson is 285th overall, he will rise with a bullet once he gets to the 40-game requirement.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
