GOLD Coast has thumped under-fire North Melbourne with a devastating seven-goal burst to continue its charge towards the AFL top eight in a 62-point victory at TIO Stadium in Darwin.
The Suns started slowly and trailed by 17 points at the first change but led by Touk Miller they slammed on seven majors while keeping the Kangaroos scoreless in the second term to set up a 15.19 (109) to 7.5 (47) triumph on Saturday.
But the win could come at a cost after Suns defender Lachie Weller collapsed while dashing through the middle of the ground with ball in hand in the final term and immediately clutched at his knee.
In a stirring show of strength in the second quarter, the Suns dominated the contested possessions 47-27 and had an incredible 28-6 advantage in inside 50s to build a 32-point half-time lead that the Roos never looked like bouncing back from.
A fourth win in the past five matches moves the Suns to a 6-6 record and with a favourable run home they are well-placed to be a genuine finals contender for the first time since winning a club-record 10 games in 2014.
Co-captain Miller helped turn the contest around with 12 disposals and five clearances in the second term, finishing with 32 touches, 23 of them contested and 13 clearances as he starred while becoming just the fourth player to reach 150 matches for the Suns.
Matt Rowell responded well to a quieter run of form to partner Miller around the stoppages and gathered 25 disposals with 17 of those contested, while David Swallow (22 touches, one goal) and Noah Anderson (21) were also influential.
Suns foundation player Sam Day kicked two goals in his first match of the season after coming in for the injured Levi Casboult, as Izak Rankine also booted two majors.
Luke Davies-Uniacke (25 disposals, one goal), Jy Simpkin (20, one) and Jed Anderson (18, one) battled hard, while Luke McDonald (20) was one of few Roos looking to provide run and carry and ended with an equal game-high 11 rebounds.
Tarryn Thomas (19 touches) and Hugh Greenwood (21) took steps towards rediscovering their best form but the Roos needed more contributors after quarter-time to prevent a 10th consecutive loss.
The effects of the Kangaroos’ second-quarter nightmare are set to be felt into next week, with key defender Ben McKay copping a knock to the head late in the term and unable to return after the main break.
After the competitive opening, the highlight for the Kangaroos was a stunning major from Jason Horne-Francis when the No.1 draft pick burst away from a stoppage and stepped around two Suns defenders on his way to goal.
The Suns ran away in the final term with four more goals while the Roos were again held goalless.
Gold Coast has a bye next week and then faces Adelaide while North Melbourne plays GWS on Sunday.
(C) AAP 2022
