North Melbourne will play out a dead rubber against Gold Coast on Saturday in one of the lower key fixtures of Round 23, with both teams looking to end their disappointing 2022 campaigns on a high.
The Kangaroos go into this clash buoyed by the announcement of Alastair Clarkson as their new coach for 2023, so expect them to play with some intensity.
Before the match, be sure to check out these Round 23 AFL betting tips!
Remember, Before You Bet will be previewing every game of the 2022 AFL season, so be sure to check out our AFL Tips page for regular updates.
North Melbourne vs Gold Coast Betting Tips
Marvel Stadium, Saturday 20th August, 2.10pm (AEST)
North Melbourne
Injuries: Jack Ziebell (out), Jackson Archer (out), Jaidyn Stephenson (out), Jed Anderson (out), Paul Curtis (out), Miller Bergman, Will Phillips, Jared Polec, Tristan Xerri
A raft of injuries has hit North Melbourne before the final round of the season, forcing them to make several changes.
The pain is just about over for North Melbourne fans, who have suffered through a disastrous season. Just two wins have broken up the 19 losses in a campaign that has been a significant step back from the efforts of last year. Silver linings are hard to come by, however master coach Clarkson will see potential in North’s deep midfield unit and forward focal points – Luke Davies-Uniacke has come on in leaps and bounds and the combination of Nick Larkey/Cameron Zurhaar can be lethal on a good day.
There will be several players playing for their careers against the Suns this weekend with a list cleanout imminent. The Kangaroos can avoid the wooden spoon with a win, but it will be a tough task given the wholesale changes made to their line-up this week.
Gold Coast
Injuries: Izak Rankine (out), Sam Day (out), Rory Atkins, Charlie Ballard, Connor Budarick, Nick Holman, Joel Jeffrey, Ben King, Wil Powell, Bodhi Uwland, Lachie Weller
Izak Rankine is out of the side as rumours that he will leave the Suns this summer swirl. A long list of players will need the offseason break to get themselves right for 2023.
It’s been a disappointing end to a promising season for the Suns, who have lost four of their last five games. A first ever finals appearance was briefly on the cards mid-season, however another late season fadeout has cost Gold Coast who will now finish among the also rans yet again.
Plenty of key names will return to the park next season and bolster hopes of a top eight finish, so supporters should remain optimistic, but this season has been a let down nonetheless. Touk Miller, Noah Anderson and Jarrod Witts have led the way admirably, but Gold Coast’s bottom six players seem to let them down each week when compared to the teams at the top. Defence has also been an issue in the latter stages of 2022, as the Suns have conceded 100+ points in four of their last five matches. That deficiency should be offset by the return of Ben King next year though, as he prepares to form a three-headed snake with Mabior Chol and Levi Casboult, which will be assisted by smaller forwards Ben Ainsworth and Elijah Hollands.
Match Prediction
North Melbourne arguably has more to play for in this Round 23 encounter, as they fight to avoid the wooden spoon. As previously mentioned, players will also be determined to impress incoming coach Alastair Clarkson. On the flipside, the Suns are really just playing for pride. However, they have far more quality on the team sheet for this game.
Both teams have losing form, but Gold Coast will fancy their chances having defeated North by 62 points earlier in the year. That result and team selection dictates that a Suns win is on the cards, with North keeping the margin respectable.
Gold Coast 1-39
$2.15 (3 Units)
Prop Bets
McDonald has hovered around 20 disposals all season playing roles in defence and on the wing. He relies heavily on kick ins to bump up his disposal count and this week both Aaron Hall and Stephenson are out of the side, so I expect McDonald to pick up a couple of extra free touches.
Luke McDonald 20+ Disposals ($1.62 at Ladbrokes)
Hollands has shown off his limitless potential since coming into the senior side, kicking five goals in four matches. This game should be a high scoring affair given it’s dead rubber nature, so the youngster is great value to hit the scoreboard again on Saturday.
Elijah Hollands 2+ Goals ($1.96 at Ladbrokes)
