Match

Gold Coast Suns vs North Melbourne

Commentary / 08 Jun 2019

Pre Game

00:00

This season Gold Coast has improved its averaged score conceded by over 13 points per game, but the Suns have still allowed their opposition to generate an inside 50 from 22 per cent of their chains starting in the defensive 50 (ranked 16th).

Quarter 1

00:00

Q1 is now underway.

01:49

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Darcy MacPherson)

03:03

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Wil Powell)

03:26

Wil Powell kicks the opening goal after David Swallow provides Gold Coast with its first clearance of the match. Twice in the past month, Swallow has won a career-high 13 clearances in a match.

03:33

Kangaroos Interchange - Shaun Higgins and is possibly out for the game.

05:28

SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Rushed)

06:18

SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Luke McDonald)

06:55

It has been a relatively open start to the match, with only three tackles in total in comparison to an aggregate 38 disposals (almost 13 disposals per tackle). The season average rate across the league is six disposals per tackle.

08:28

SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Mason Wood)

08:55

Mason Wood has taken North Melbourne's third mark inside forward 50 and kicked truly. Across the past four weeks, the Kangaroos have taken a mark from 21 per cent of its kicks inside 50 (ranked fourth).

13:20

Kangaroos Interchange - Jack Ziebell off due to the blood rule.

13:58

SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Nick Larkey)

14:15

A fourth mark inside 50 for the Kangaroos, this time to Nick Larkey, has led to their third goal from marks. North Melbourne has been cleaner with the ball, with a kicking efficiency of 82 per cent in comparison to Gold Coast's 53 per cent.

15:58

SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Tarryn Thomas)

16:25

North Melbourne is creating open space and enjoying the rewards. The Kangaroos have already won 25 more uncontested possessions than the Suns, with an advantage of 16 in their respective forward halves alone.

17:48

SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Todd Goldstein)

20:29

Since Powell's goal in the fourth minute, North Melbourne has completely controlled the game with 62 per cent time in possession in comparison to Gold Coast's 19 per cent. The Kangaroos have entered forward 50 on 13 occasions for 5.2 (32) in that time.

21:52

SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Jack Ziebell)

22:20

It is raining goals to the royal blue and white, with six goals in the past 16 minutes to the visitors. North Melbourne captain Jack Ziebell is the latest to the party, celebrating his 200th game with this is 149th career goal.

24:24

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Ben King)

26:54

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Anthony Miles)

27:24

Disappointment for Gold Coast with consecutive set shot misses late in the quarter. The Suns have recorded a set shot at goal accuracy of 51 per cent this season (ranked 18th), with the league average of 60 per cent.

29:15

SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Tarryn Thomas)

29:20

North Melbourne has kicked seven goals in the opening quarter against Gold Coast for the first time since their first encounter back in 2011. Prior to this match, first terms were the Kangaroos best in 2019, as their only quarter where they have outscored their opposition on aggregate.

31:17

The Kangaroos completely dominated the first quarter, with the opening goal the only highlight for the Suns. North Melbourne won five more clearances, 16 more contested and 31 extra uncontested possessions, and took five more marks inside forward 50.

Quarter 2

00:00

Q2 is now underway.

03:22

SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Ben Brown)

03:48

SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Kayne Turner)

04:29

Eight successive North Melbourne goals as it makes Gold Coast pay for a Hombsch turnover coming out of defensive 50. The Kangaroos have won six forward half intercepts and launched goals from all but two of those.

05:54

SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Ben Brown)

06:57

SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Jy Simpkin)

08:05

SCORE GOAL - Suns (David Swallow)

08:19

It's taken over eight minutes for the Suns to enter forward 50 this quarter, but David Swallow has converted from the goal square after MacPherson won the free kick outside 50. The Suns have launched 36 per cent of their score from a chain starting in the attacking midfield this season (ranked fourth).

16:01

SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Jared Polec)

16:25

Since Gold Coast's sole forward 50 entry and goal this term, North Melbourne has generated the past 12 entries and enjoyed 93 per cent time in forward half in that time. Across the quarter the Kangaroos have a 17-one advantage in inside 50s.

17:18

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Ben King)

17:35

Gold Coast retains its 100 per cent goal rate once inside 50 this quarter with its second major from two entries, this time from a centre clearance win by Jack Martin. He leads his club in this metric this season, now with 19 centre clearances for the year.

19:34

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Will Brodie)

20:18

Make that three goals from three forward 50 entries for Gold Coast, outscoring North Melbourne for the term even with 15 fewer inside 50s. The Suns have retained all kicks inside that zone this quarter, and as such the Kangaroos have not won a possession inside defensive 50.

28:49

Gold Coast's back line has been far more resolute this quarter, winning 19 defensive 50 intercepts (up from just five in the first term). Cam Burgess is leading the way with three intercepts and five spoils for the quarter.

29:48

Kangaroos Interchange - Jack Ziebell off due to an injury.

30:23

Although North Melbourne won seven more clearances and recorded 27 forward 50 entries in the second term (the highest tally by any team in a quarter this season), Gold Coast was able to absorb the pressure and was more efficient going the other way.

Quarter 3

00:00

Q3 is now underway.

04:24

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Alex Sexton)

04:26

Gold Coast has started the second half in a similar way to the first, opening its account in the early minutes. Alex Sexton leads his club in goals this year and has now taken his season tally to 23.

07:39

SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Kayne Turner)

12:19

SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Ben Brown)

12:32

Ben Brown has had three set shots with all three resulting in behinds. Prior to this match, Brown had kicked 28.10 from set shots for the season.

14:36

SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Mason Wood)

16:41

SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Kayne Turner)

18:59

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Peter Wright)

19:27

The Suns have got better the longer the match has gone on. This term Gold Coast are kicking at 79 per cent efficiency, well above North Melbourne at just 53 per cent, and as such has taken 15 more uncontested marks than its opposition.

21:09

SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Mason Wood)

21:22

Mason Wood leads all players with three marks inside 50 as North Melbourne have now taken 11, however only five since quarter time. The Kangaroos are just behind the season average of 11.7 marks inside 50 per game (ranked seventh).

22:15

SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Tarryn Thomas)

23:21

Suns Interchange - Jordan Murdoch and is possibly out for the game.

23:48

Two players have combined for eight of the nine clearances for the quarter. Gold Coast Will Brodie has won four of his sides five clearances, while for North Melbourne Ben Cunnington has won all four. Cunnington has won 11 for the game include five at the centre bounce.

25:50

SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Ben Brown)

25:56

Ben Brown is finally on the board after a strong contested mark at the top of the goal square. The Kangaroos have kicked 46 of their 81 points (57 per cent) from shots as a result of marks, just under their season average of 58 per cent (the third-highest proportion in the league).

26:30

Suns Interchange - Chris Burgess off due to an injury.

28:55

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Touk Miller)

30:02

The Suns' midfield has lifted a notch or two this quarter, winning four more clearances than the Kangaroos in the midfield zone and launching all three of their goals from between the arcs.

30:34

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Josh Corbett)

31:01

North Melbourne returns the margin at the final change back to 35 points, identical to that at the first change. Jarrod Harbrow won eight intercept possessions in that quarter (equal to the most by any player in a quarter this season) and now has 11 for the match.

Quarter 4

00:00

Q4 is now underway.

01:10

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Rushed)

03:15

SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Jy Simpkin)

04:24

SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Rushed)

05:24

SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Jack Ziebell)

05:52

Jack Ziebell is putting together a 200th game to remember. The North Melbourne captain has won seven clearances and two intercepts, on his way to a game-high 607 metres gained. He has delivered the ball inside 50 on seven occasions and now kicked two goals.

06:49

SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Nick Holman)

09:33

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Ben King)

10:08

Another indiscretion has proven costly for North Melbourne, with a fifty-metre penalty ending in a goal to Ben King. The Suns have now kicked two goals from fifty-metre penalties and another directly from a free kick.

11:34

Ben Brown hasn't quite taken his opportunities today but now has 2.3 (15) from set shots. The North Melbourne forward has been involved in an equal team-high eight possession chains resulting in a score.

13:50

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Jack Martin)

14:33

North Melbourne have conceded another free kick and Jack Martin has made the most of the resulting shot. He has been dangerous today, winning four clearances, three intercepts and delivered the ball inside 50 on four occasions.

15:00

SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Jy Simpkin)

16:10

Kangaroos Interchange - Jack Ziebell off due to the blood rule.

16:13

Ben Cunnington (12) has won a third of his side's clearances (36) and has the equivalent of almost half the tally of Gold Coast (28). This is the sixth time this year he has reached double-figure clearances, and now leads the league with 100 (surpassing Patrick Cripps on 99)

16:51

SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Rushed)

18:14

SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Nick Larkey)

24:38

Robbie Tarrant has been a key post in defence for North Melbourne, winning a game-high and career-best 14 intercepts and applying five spoils. Jasper Pittard has been right there alongside him with 11 spoils and five intercepts.

26:08

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Jack Lukosius)

29:17

SCORE GOAL - Suns (Jesse Joyce)

29:49

Since quarter time, Gold Coast has outscored North Melbourne by nine points even with 20 fewer forward 50 entries. The Suns' kicking efficiency improved from 51 per cent in the first stanza to 65 per cent since that time.

31:26

SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Jared Polec)

31:32

North Melbourne blew the game open with seven successive goals in the first term leading to a 35-point quarter time margin. Across the game the Kangaroos controlled field position with 61 per cent time in forward half, winning 33 forward half intercepts which launched a total 52 points.