AFL Round 9 Gold Coast v North Melbourne: All the news and fallout as the Roos go 0-9 in Darwin

North Melbourne is still winless after a trip to the Top End on Saturday night. But coach Alastair Clarkson remains steadfast that the fortunes of his club will eventually turn.

Nathaniel Chambers

5 min read

May 12, 2024 - 1:59PM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

DARWIN, AUSTRALIA – MAY 11: The Kangaroos look dejected as they leave the field after the 2024 AFL Round 09 match between the Gold Coast SUNS and North Melbourne Kangaroos at TIO Stadium on May 11, 2024 in Darwin, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

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North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson said his side were taking the “little wins” from their performance against the Gold Coast, their ninth loss on a bounce in 2024.

The Kangaroos lost by 68-points when they faced the Suns in their Top End fortress of TIO Stadium, and with tough matches to come they still have yet to post a win this season.

However, Clarkson said there was plenty of merit in his side’s performance from an opening half where they were still in the contest to the work rate of his defensive end.

It was the performances of Zac Fisher who managed 30 touches, alongside other defenders that he called the small wins his side were taking on each week.

“That’s the third week in a row where he’s managed 30 touches and used the ball really well, we’re pleased with the progress he’s making,” Clarkson said.

Clarkson was taking in the positives of yet another defeat. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“For our supporters at home there’s some of the little wins, I know they’re disappointed we’re losing games of footy.

“At some point in time this club is going to turn this around, as long we keep blooding these kids and giving them some exposure then the wheel will turn around for us eventually.”

Clarkson was pleased with the way his side started the game, only trailing by a single goal after the first quarter and still in the contest at half time.

However, his side’s inability to convert their advantage into meaningful points bit them hard as the game wore on until the conditions drowned them out in the back half of the match.

“We just couldn’t convert some of our opportunities,” he said.

“We thought up until three quarter time, even though the scoreboard was slowly getting away from us, we thought we were still in the game in general play.

“It wasn’t like for a ten-goal loss that they dominated, we knew we had more disposals than they did, we just couldn’t convert those opportunities with the ball.”

ONE-WAY TRAFFIC IN DARWIN AS ROOS GO 0-9

Gold Coast has maintained its winning run at fortress Darwin and forced North Melbourne to wait yet another week for that elusive win.

The Suns haven’t lost at their second home of TIO Stadium since 2020, and have now extended their winning run there to five matches.

They also continued their run of winning matches after leading at half time, with their buffer accelerating with a seven goal final quarter to win by a huge 68 points 17.18 (120) to 7.10 (52).

Inaccuracies kept North in the contest for much of the first half with 17 behinds kicked between the sides for that period.

But when the match broke open in the third, it was the Suns that rose to the occasion, trapping the ball in their forward 50.

Touk Miller smothers young Roo George Wardlaw. Picture; Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

An around the corner goal from Territorian Lloyd Johnston, the first of his AFL career, at the top of the period was a taste of what was to come.

The Suns came in waves from there, not always efficient in disposals but with bodies constantly charging through there was little North could do to stop their pressure game.

Touk Miller was everywhere with a real captain’s outing, usual standout Noah Anderson made his presence known and Ben King was explosive with two goals.

The most contentious goal came when a Jed Walter boot beat a North Melbourne hand by the narrowest of margins.

The Victorian outfit called for touched, but the match replay showed Walter’s boot had got the win, a result of his efforts.

From there, despite a brief fightback in the final quarter, it was all one way traffic and the Suns had themselves another win in their second home, with Geelong to come.

Earlier, it was 2023 VFL Rising Star Sam Clohesy, who after a stint for Palmerston in the NTFL, paved the way in how to play in Territory conditions.

When goals were a premium, the young gun was a steadying presence and got two crucial majors in the opening half to keep the board ticking for his side, when a loss was still on the cards.

Zac Fisher with the leather hands for North, and though the majority of his disposals were kick ins, he had himself 24 possessions before half time.

But North were victims of its own misfortunes and, despite having the match opener from Jaidyn Stephenson, they only had five more for the night.

Cam Zurhaar attempts to break a tackle on Saturday night. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

SIREN BEATS CURTIS

The Roos would have rued a first quarter where they had the forward entries and the possessions, but a lack of goals to show for it.

Whether it was dual behinds from Nick Larkey or a last-gasp spoil from Suns’ Sam Flanders very little was going North’s way.

However, it was Paul Curtis who would have felt most hard done when the ball fell beautifully in front of goal with him the only player close enough to get to it.

Without knowing the time left he scrambled towards the ball, but the siren went just before he struck the ball and as open as the goal could have been it was not to be.

The Kangas would have been thankful for the right-hand goal post, which did its bit in defence and denied two goals for the Suns in the period.

Lloyd Johnston celebrates in Darwin. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

TERRITORIANS CELEBRATE

The Suns have built their relationship with Darwin in recent years drafting players into both their AFL and AFLW squads, and in return have an ongoing winning streak at TIO Stadium.

Joel Jeffrey, Johnston and Ben Long all earned call ups on the return to Darwin, and other than leading out their side, also became focus points.

Johnston was the first player with an opportunity at goal, though his snap which ultimately collided with the post was indicative of the Wanderers’ junior not being used to playing forward.

In the third quarter, he again found himself in possession with a shot, though in the arguably tougher spot of the boundary line.

But he used his Territory knowledge to curl it around the corner for his first goal as an AFL footballer at the ground where he originally made his name in the NTFL to the biggest cheer of the night.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey had a busy night off half back and St Mary’s product Long got a couple of goals for his efforts late in the piece.

Sam Clohesy celebrates a goal. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

SMOKEY GROUND

Everyone knows playing in the Top End is difficult enough with the heat and humidity, far from the conditions in Melbourne.

Even without the rain, playing in Darwin is wet weather footy, which has played a major role in the Gold Coast’s success at the ground in recent years.

However, a poorly timed planned burn off nearby flooded the field with smoke prior to the face-off, making the conditions just that little bit more unbearable.