Where and when: Marvel Stadium, Sunday March 24, 1.10pm AEDT
Last time they met: Metricon Stadium, round 13, 2018: Gold Coast 11.12 (78) lost to St Kilda 11.14 (80)
The SUNS led for most of the match at Metricon Stadium, but after trailing by 31 points at the last break, St Kilda stormed home and pulled off a remarkable victory. A brilliant snap in the last minute by Jade Gresham got the Saints over the line in the final-quarter thriller
TV, radio and betting: Click here for broadcast guide
What it means for St Kilda: So much. It's been a disastrous past few weeks for the Saints. The injury list is mounting, and a win would be great for morale. A loss to the lowly Suns would be tough to rebound from.
What it means for Gold Coast: The SUNS have undergone a strategic reset over the off-season, so an early season victory would boost the player morale and give the squad some much needed confidence.
How St Kilda wins: Holding sway in the midfield battle and applying intense pressure will help protect an inexperienced backline, with Josh Battle and Darragh Joyce holding the key posts.
How Gold Coast wins: The SUNS just need to be in the game at the last break and hope their opposition cracks in what would be a stressful situation.
The stat: St Kilda lost the free kick count in its final JLT Community Series match against the Western Bulldogs, 40-14. It won't want that disparity in round one.
The match-up: Peter Wright v Darragh Joyce
On paper, Wright should have the advantage and would back himself to kick a bag, but Irishman Joyce has done some nice things in the pre-season for St Kilda. Wright is ranked No.271 in the AFL Player Ratings, while the Saints backman is No.698.
