AFL Round 16 Insights: The Surprising Stat Max Gawn Holds Onto as the Demons Face Finals Elimination Threat

Despite being on the verge of finals elimination, Melbourne’s captain Max Gawn remains optimistic about their chances of a turnaround.

In Round 16, the Demons are set to embark on one of the toughest away games in Australian rules football, heading to Queensland to take on the Gold Coast Suns.

Since the start of 2024, the only teams to have visited the Gold Coast and secured a victory against the Suns on their home turf are Fremantle and Melbourne, a statistic that Gawn is keen to highlight.

“Looking at our recent form, we were the only team last year to beat them on the Gold Coast,” Gawn commented during an interview with Triple M.

“However, they did get the better of us by 50 points earlier this season.”

“That performance came amid our 0-5 start, which was certainly a challenging time for us.

“The Suns are incredibly quick and skilled. I believe when we play to our best, we can get the job done.”

Brisbane also managed to defeat the Suns at Carrara in the previous season.

Currently, the Demons find themselves three games adrift of the eighth spot and have not reached 75 points in a match since Round 12.

Gawn acknowledges that the team needs to improve their ball usage when moving inside 50.

“We’re constantly reviewing it. Simon Goodwin regularly gives us feedback mid-year on our performance. We’re strong between the arcs, but we’ve struggled at both ends,” he explained.

“Our connection in the forward line is under the spotlight. A significant part of the issue lies in how we’re kicking it in. Some claim we lack a solid forward line, but our execution needs to improve.”

Nine’s team of experts are unanimously predicting a victory for Gold Coast, which is vital for the Suns as they seek to remain competitive for a spot in the top eight this season.

Take a look at their predictions below:

Expert predictions for Round 15

Jimmy Bartel: Carlton, Western Bulldogs, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Adelaide, Fremantle

Rory Sloane: Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, Gold Coast, North Melbourne, Collingwood, Adelaide, Fremantle

Tom Morris: Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Adelaide, Fremantle

Eddie McGuire: Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Adelaide, Fremantle

Clint Stanaway: Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Adelaide, Fremantle

Nat Yoannidis: Port Adelaide, Sydney, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Adelaide, Fremantle

Tony Jones: Port Adelaide, Sydney, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Collingwood, Adelaide, Fremantle