Touk Miller injury sours huge Gold Coast win over North Melbourne

Gold Coast might have pulled off their most important win of the year, but it was soured by a worrying injury to their best player.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 23: Touk Miller of the Suns is helped from the field during the round six AFL match between Gold Coast Suns and North Melbourne Kangaroos at Heritage Bank Stadium, on April 23, 2023, in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Touk Miller has gone down with a knee injury in grim signs for a Suns outfit that managed to knock over North Melbourne in a gutsy and important win.

Miller seemed to collapse over his left knee midway through the clash against the Kangaroos diving to get a handball away, and was attended to by physios before returning to the field.

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Not long afterwards, however, it seemed to be that Miller’s left knee locked up, marking the end of his involvement in the contest and putting question marks over the Suns’ midfield depth once again.

Touk Miller leaves the ground under some pain with what looks like a left leg injury. Hopefully it's not too serious.

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The Suns’ midfield core of Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson and Miller looked at a point to be one of the most dangerous young combinations in the league after Rowell and Anderson were drafted with the top two picks in 2019, but that hasn’t eventuated thus far.

Regardless, the Suns would go on to dominate a lacklustre North Melbourne outfit, getting up 14.13 (97) to 7.12 (54).

The Suns had lost four out of their past five games heading into the crucial clash at Carrara, but five goals from Ben King ensured they relieved some pressure on the under-fire Stuart Dew, who has been criticised for not maximising his club’s vast riches of young talent, as well as losing figures like Izak Rankine to traditional football states.

Ben King had a scorching return to form for the Suns. (Photo by Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Suns co-captain Jarrod Witts spoke on the importance of the game, telling Fox Footy’s Alistair Lynch that the Suns were able to control the football significantly more than in previous weeks.

Asked about the return to form of key forward Ben King, Witts was glowing in his praise.

“Yeah he’s a really important part of our footy club and a great man,” Witts said.

‘To see him put some continuity together has been great, it’s great to have him back out there.”

King has struggled with his confidence at times this season, but it was clear from the opening bounce on Sunday that the big man had come ready to play.

He consistently threw himself into the contest, worked hard up the ground and even nearly took a mark of the year contender early on.

Touk Miller in the hands of the trainers. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

King, who has been the recent subject of speculation surrounding his future despite having a contract until the end of next year, had four goals to halftime and finished with five goals.

Fellow Suns tall Jack Lukosius sprayed his first shot but kicked his first in the third term.

Ben King with a ripper for goal number FIVE!

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North Melbourne bright spark Harry Sheezel has been having a ball in his first season, but Gold Coast ensured the party came to an end.

Sheezel had been averaging over 30 disposals a game in his first five games, but Suns coach Stuart Dew decided to throw tough nut Nick Holman onto the young star.

With Holman wearing him like a glove, the raging Rising Star favourite had just six disposals to the main break.

He was moved from halfback to half-forward after halftime and finished with 11 disposals.

Elsewhere, it was not the result that veteran Todd Goldstein would have wanted on the occasion of his 300th game.

He has now become just the ninth VFL-AFL ruckman to reach the 300-game milestone, behind Simon Madden, Gary Dempsey, Don Scott, John ‘Sam’ Newman, Len Thompson, John Nicholls, Paul Salmon and Justin Madden.

That makes him the first ruckman to reach the elusive milestone this century.

– with NCA Newswire