Blog log from R17 of 2024: North Melbourne vs Gold Coast

Larkey marks a Sinclair pass leading down the flank in front of Collins to 40m but misses. (Q1 0:58)
Xerri leads from the square in front of Moyle to mark 35m out in the corridor to kick the first goal of the afternoon. (Q1 4:00)
Teakle flies in front of a big pack 30m out on a slight angle to clunk a long speculator by Curtis from outer wing, lands on his back but gets up and kicks truly. (Q1 6:03)
Powell sends one of the longest kicks of the year from the centre over the Gold Coast defence to set up Shiels to goal from 20m over the back! What a huge torpedo! (Q1 13:48)
Ainsworth wrestles with McDonald and marks a short Anderson kick 20m out in front, he plays on for the first major for the Suns. (Q1 15:03)
Gold Coast get a few repeat inside 50s, eventually Day beats Comben one-on-one to mark a Clohesy long ball 20m out on a slight angle for his first goal. (Q1 18:59)
Graham clears after the next centre bounce to the top of the square where Day again beats Comben with upper-body strength to mark and goal. (Q1 20:11)
Archer is pinged for insufficient intent on members wing, long Clohesy ball to a big pack 30m out on the flank, it’s that man Day who marks on his chest but he shanks OOTF. (Q1 22:34)
Sheezel roves in defence but his handball is a hospital job to set up Simpkin to get caught HTB 40m out in a double tackle. Graham takes the free, Gold Coast leads with that goal. (Q1 25:54)
Day takes a link mark on outer HFF, wheels and goes long to the teeth of goal, Archer spoils Lukosius but the crumb falls for the Sun who curls in the goal from 20m. (Q1 29:54)
After Miller gets stripped in a tackle in midfield by Tucker, Curtis passes to Larkey in the pocket 20m out who converts. (Q2 1:25)
Davies-Uniacke roves a stoppage on the HFF, runs inboard and kicks to the square from 50m on a slight angle, Pink chooses to shepherd it through, bounces near the post… goal! (Q2 4:05)
Zurhaar marks on the lead in front of Powell 40m out near the boundary but leaves the set shot just narrow to the right. (Q2 7:15)
Anderson gives Andrew a hospital handball at his toes near the North hotspot, Shiels roves and feeds Pink who screws through another one from 30m on the flank. (Q2 10:30)
McKercher burns off Miller and then Clohesy on a scoot around outer wing, he hits up Larkey who goals from 40m on the flank, that was a crowd-pleaser for long-suffering Roo fans! (Q2 12:17)
Simpkin gets a free at a ball up on Wil Powell for a hold, he shoots from 40m on the flank but it’s narrow to the left. (Q2 15:26)
Day takes another contested grab on the HFF and goes short to Anderson 45m out on a slight angle, Nando bangs through a quality finish. (Q2 16:43)
Long bombs long to the square on a rebound, Lukosius has position on Archer but watches the ball clear their contest and pitch in the square then just avoid the right post! (Q2 21:45)
Ah, but Lukosius threw his head back on the line which was a big tell, sure enough the Edge shows a spike and the goal is reversed, just a behind. (Q2 22:44)
Miller volleys from a ball up at the Horth hotspot but Kallan Dawson intercepts in a wrestle with Swallow 50m out, the 13-gamer roosts his first senior goal! (Q2 25:05)
King’s first possession of the day is a mark on the lead in front of Corr 30m out near the boundary, his set shot draws left to right and straight over the goal umpire’s cap! (Q2 27:29)
This is another circle work kind of game like last night, which makes for some attractive football when they kick straight. (Q2 29:09)
Jeffrey gets a rare chance for a running snap from 40m on the flank but his drop punt slices to the right and across the face. (Q2 30:06)
Jeffrey receives from Moyle in the centre and hits King on the lead well in front of Corr 45m out on a slight angle, his set shot is short, wide and rushed. (Q3 1:26)
Anderson receives forward of a pack at half forward, his snap from 40m is a shank but lands in the arms of Day in the pocket 15m out, who misses. (Q3 4:01)
Andrew roves an aimless rebound kick 60m out then receives back for a running snap from 45m on a slight angle. bit wobbly but it falls inside the right post for the go-ahead goal! (Q3 5:41)
Zurhaar wins a HTB free on Ballard 45m out in the corridor, his kick is wide, short and eventually rushed. (Q3 7:16)
Zurhaar earns a high contact free on Rowell while dropping the knees in possession just inside 50m on a slight angle, his set shot falls just over the line for a goal. (Q3 11:11)
Sheezel feeds Powell from the next bounce, crowd yells for a torp but he passes to the HFF where Ford marks in front of Jeffrey 40m out, set shot is narrow to the right. (Q3 13:11)
Larkey leaps in front of Collins to mark a clearance kick by Scott from a stoppage on the HFF to 20m on the flank, another goal for the Kangaroos who are bouncing away again. (Q3 14:17)
Clohesy roves McDonald’s handball clanger on the HFF and passes to Long leading to the hotspot, he steers through the goal. (Q3 19:12)
Long marks a Jeffrey kick in front of McKercher 45m out on a slight angle. Gold Coast need to convert half-chances like this to stay in the game… poor kick, rushed. (Q3 22:02)
Sheezel cribs inside from a set shot from 45m on the boundary and bangs through a perfect drop punt! (Q3 26:07)
Ainsworth marks 50m out on the flank and shoots after the 3QT siren, North Melbourne fans hoot and holler then cheer as his kick falls short for no score. (Q3 29:15)
Long marks on the lead in front of Comben, he tries a set foot checkside from fully 40m out near the boundary, it starts on target but floats across the face late. (Q4 1:52)
Andrew looks to be in position A to intercept a Tucker kick to the hotspot but Teakle floats in front of him to mark and goal. (Q4 3:10)
Rowell wobbles a snap across the body well wide right from the pocket 20m out. (Q4 5:55)
King beats McKercher to rove in the pocket and jinks inside but misses a relatively easy snap from 15m. (Q4 7:18)
Ford hits the post from a pack 30m out. Gold Coast are on the ropes, just need a knockout blow now. (Q4 11:24)
Long races back for a long ball over his head, he gets a lovely bounce to set up a soccer goal from 15m past Corr in the square. (Q4 11:54)
Flanders is at the feet of the ruckmen for a short throw-in to 20m a step ahead of Powell, he curls in a lovely left-foot snap off a step. Suns back in it all of a sudden! (Q4 14:01)
Pressure and fumbles exchanged on members wing, Sheezel shows the best hands, Curtis marks over Collins 40m out on the flank and delivers a huge goal! (Q4 17:13)
Davies-Uniacke streaks away from a stoppage on members wing, bounces twice and swerves past traffic to 40m on the flank, his snap looks tired and wobbles across the face. (Q4 20:04)
Collins intercepts at half back to start a rebound as the clock ticks to 3:00. (Q4 24:55)
On the end of that rebound, Clohesy runs around outer wing and hits Wil Powell 40m out on a slight angle despite a lunge by Archer. The Suns’ Powell kicks truly! (Q4 25:16)
2:05 to go and a kick in it. All three results in play, as they have been often this year in the last minutes. (Q4 26:01)
Rowell rides a double tackle to reef out a handball at the next bounce, Andrew passes to Ainsworth 45m out in the corridor who hooks it left. 1:20 to play. (Q4 27:18)
Short kick in to Comben, another short one to McKercher in the back pocket, then the long ball to a pack on members wing, Curtis roves and kicks to no one, Swallow roves, rebound.. (Q4 28:01)
Sheezel intercepts at half forward, almost the game saver but Ballard intercepts at full back, 30 second to go, up the guts it is… (Q4 28:42)
Ball up in the centre, seven seconds left. (Q4 28:42)
Sheezel to Zurhaar for the clearance, siren goes, North Melbourne hangs on! (Q4 29:03)