Suns favourite celebrates farewell game with goal against Saints

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By Andrew McGarry

Topic:AFL

The final round in the AFL home-and-away season kicks off with St Kilda hosting Gold Coast at Docklands, with both sides playing for pride.

The top 10 is set, with both the Saints and Suns unable to break into the wildcard spots.

Both teams will be looking to end their seasons on a high after falling short of finals.

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By Andrew McGarry

The answer is ... not long!

The Saints go quick, and Hugo Boxshall nails the kick and that is 16 goals so far in total for the game.

On the other hand, Boxshall might have some issues with the match review tribunal after this moment a few minutes earlier.

Matt Rowell had the ball, Boxshall was next to him. Rowell did the don't argue and Boxshall produced a speed of going to ground not seen since 1980s WWE matches.

Judge for yourselves.

By Andrew McGarry

The scoring isn't slowing down here!

The Suns are on the end of it this time, getting it inside 50 for Leo Lombard to get the set shot and he nails it.

The lead is back to nine - but how long will it last?

By Andrew McGarry

The Suns are paying for turnovers here in the second term. They gave it up and the Saints pounced, going down the corridor before a kick out in front of Mitch Owens, who picked it up and bounced before blasting it from the square.

We're back to three points!

By Andrew McGarry

It's been a bit of a re-run of the start of the opening quarter, with big efforts and not too many targets hit.

However Ryan Byrnes has converted a set shot to open the scoring for the second term, bringing the Saints back to 10 points down.

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By Andrew McGarry

The siren sounds at Docklands, ending an entertaining quarter.

Hugo Garcia booted a late goal for the Saints, but the visitors hit back almost immediately, with Lachie Gulbin slotting it from close range after a bit of a chaos ball.

Then the Saints crafted another major from Rowan Marshall.

And then to cap things off, Nick Holman lasered a kick after the siren in his final game of footy to re-establish a solid break.

The popular clubman was swarmed by teammates, and rightly so.

Neither side has been perfect with their delivery, but we can't be disappointed with 12 goals in the opening term.

Let's see if these sides can keep this going, or whether the defences assert themselves.

By Andrew McGarry

This has been a solid opening term from Gold Coast, and the visitors are taking their opportunities.

The clearances are going to the Suns, and they set up Ben King in the left forward pocket - the spearhead hits it for his second of the night. The lead is 15 points.

By Andrew McGarry

We almost went back to the World Cup there, with Ben Long producing a deft soccer along the ground from deep inside 50.

Leo Lombard was standing away from the crush, and he grabbed it and snapped it perfectly from the top of the square.

The Suns have four, Lombard has two, and they lead by eight points late in the quarter.

By Andrew McGarry

The Saints have produced a quick reply!

Working it from their D50, they spread the play and then went down the corridor.

A kick went long to a contest inside 50, it came off hands and Ryan Byrnes snapped a beauty from the pocket.

By Andrew McGarry

This has been a better few minutes from the visitors, and they are hitting some targets.

The Suns got it to Noah Anderson, and the skipper - who has not been the most accurate kick this season - nailed the set shot from the arc.

Gold Coast leads by eight in time on.

By Andrew McGarry

The Suns have managed to put it together there!

Saints were attacking but it fell down on half-back, and within a tick over 10 seconds the Suns had flashed it down the corridor with quick ball movement, and Leo Lombard ended up snapping the goal.

The Suns are ahead, ahead of time on.

By Andrew McGarry

The Suns have not been accurate so far, and they are wasting some chances here.

Ben Long marked outside 50 and went the journey but pushed his kick wide.

Then from the kickout the Saints turned it over, and a chip found Touk Miller inside the arc.

It should have been a goal, but he sprayed it wide as well.

By Andrew McGarry

The Saints are getting their repeat entries and putting the pressure on the Suns defence - and the visitors are not coping too well so far.

A stoppage in forward 50 was bounced forward by the Saints, the Suns failed to clear and Liam Ryan grabbed it in the square and snapped St Kilda's second of the night.

By Andrew McGarry

That was better from the Suns!

A Nick Holman tackle forced a turnover, and the Suns spread downfield.

The ball went inside 50, Bailey Humphrey handballed over the top for Ben King, and the Gold Coast spearhead got his team on the board.

By Andrew McGarry

The Saints have had the better opportunities so far, with Rowan Marshall missing another shot from the arc, but the home side have kept hitting forward 50, and a holding free on Max Hall set up a goal for the Saints.

Hall's goal puts them seven points up in the early minutes.

By Andrew McGarry

It's been a scrappy opening couple of minutes, with both sides making some errors - and possibly a dodgy surface at Docklands contributing.

Finally Hugo Garcia chipped inside 50 to Rowan Marshall. But the Saints big man couldn't get the distance and the ball fell short and was rushed by the Suns.

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By Andrew McGarry

Here we go for the first game of round 24!

How much motivation is left for these two sides, and will we see a tight, attritional contest, or an open shootout?

Let's find out.

By Andrew McGarry

This matchup has been pretty even recently, with the Saints and Suns splitting the last six encounters three each.

However at this evening's venue at Docklands, the Saints have the definite advantage, with seven wins out of nine games all-time, and three wins from the last four.

By Andrew McGarry

As Gold Coast tries to wind up its season with a win, there is the question of whether tonight will be Ben King's last game for the Suns.

Reports have suggested that King - who has kicked 312 goals in 142 games for Gold Coast before tonight - wants to go to Hawthorn for next season.

It hasn't been formally confirmed, but the decision of Jed Walter to pass up big-dollar offers to stay with the Suns, coupled with Bailey Humphrey extending at Gold Coast until 2030, and the presence on the list of Jamarra Ugle-Hagan makes it increasingly unlikely that King will be playing in Suns colours next season.

In an interesting move, King has been named on the interchange for tonight's game.

By Andrew McGarry

A number of brands associated with the Sydney Swans have suspended their activities with the club in the wake of a police investigation into an alleged sexual assault in Melbourne on Monday.

Five Swans players - Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon - are linked to the police investigation.

The players are yet to be formally interviewed or charged and it is not suggested that any of them are being accused of sexual assault.

Sponsors Colgate, Volkswagen and Telstra have confirmed to the ABC that they have "suspended" or "paused" their activities with the players involved.

Other sponsors, including QBE and realestate.com.au, have released statements condemning any abuse or violence against women but have stopped short of withdrawing their support for the club.

Meanwhile, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood has pulled out of a match-day activation ahead of this Sunday's double-header.

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