Ben King burst into goal-kicking type however a Touk Miller knee harm has soured a vital Gold Coast AFL win over North Melbourne.
The Suns snapped a two-game dropping streak, proscribing the Kangaroos to simply two factors within the third quarter in a 14.13 (97) to 7.12 (54) residence victory.
But simply because the lead swelled past 40 factors the celebrations have been muted by the sight of All-Australian midfielder Miller pulling up and clutching his left leg, in an harm which appeared to have been brought on by two separate incidents.
The Suns co-captain was unable to place any weight on his leg as he was helped from the bottom and instantly fitted with a knee brace.
Miller was third in Brownlow Medal votes final season and his absence could be a blow for the 2-4 aspect that has designs on a maiden finals marketing campaign.
That quest was helped by their dominance on Sunday, which offset a irritating three weeks since their gorgeous upset of Geelong.
“He was really positive but it’s clearly going to mean some time off, it’s just how long,” coach Stuart Dew stated of Miller, who is about to have scans on Monday.
“It’ll force us into a little bit of a change, but there’s opportunity there, some exposure for different guys we’ll try to make the most of.”
The loss for North Melbourne adopted a 75-point thumping from Brisbane final week and is a fourth-straight defeat since their plucky 2-0 begin.
It was Kangaroos ruckman Todd Goldstein’s three hundredth AFL sport but it surely was the Suns who began greatest.
Coach Alastair Clarkson may not less than discover solace in North’s partial restoration from these opening levels, whereas lamenting their failure to transform alternatives.
“Gee we were really flat; they had 10 inside 50s to zero in the first five minutes and we actually did well to correct that,” he stated.
“At important times we could have capitalised and got into the contest, we weren’t able to take those chances.”
Ben McKay struggled to include King (5 objectives), who shed the final flecks of rust that remained after lacking all of final season with a knee harm to drill 4 first-half objectives.
Nick Holman shut down North teenager Harry Sheezel (11 disposals) and the Suns’ stifling third quarter was sufficient to seal the outcome.
Lachie Weller (28 disposals, eight inside 50s) and Matt Rowell (12 tackles) have been integral early whereas Jaidyn Stephenson (two objectives, three rating assists) did his greatest to maintain the Kangaroos in it.
Goldstein arrange a type of Stephenson objectives but it surely was his reverse quantity Jarrod Witts, again from a two-week harm, who was smiling after he chipped via a uncommon aim of his personal throughout a pivotal efficiency.
Ben Cunnington had eight clearances in his team-high 28 disposals for the Kangaroos.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
