Live: Suns on top against Saints as Round 24 gets underway

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.Follow all the action in our live blog.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 8:07pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 8:07pmQT: Gold Coast 7.4 (46) leads St Kilda 5.1 (31)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.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 8:00pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 8:00pmSuns looking strong at DocklandsThis 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.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:57pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:57pmScoring heating up at DocklandsWe 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.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:55pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:55pmRyan Byrnes answers for St KildaThe 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.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:53pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:53pmSkipper Anderson extends Gold Coast leadThis 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.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:51pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:51pmLeo Lombard puts the Suns aheadThe 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.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:48pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:48pmMisses from Ben Long, Touk Miller for SunsThe 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.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:46pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:46pmSuns pay for inability to clear as Liam Ryan pouncesThe 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.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:42pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:42pmBen King gets the Suns on the boardThat 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.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:40pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:40pmMax Hall kicks the first goal for the SaintsThe 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.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:36pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:36pmRushed behind to St Kilda opens the scoringIt'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.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:32pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:32pmWe're underway at DocklandsHere 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.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:29pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:29pmRecent results between St Kilda and Gold CoastR9, 2026: Suns by 29 (Marrara Oval)R11, 2025: Suns by 19 (Docklands)R13, 2024: Saints by 3 (Docklands)R18, 2023: Suns by 26 (Carrara)R4, 2023: Saints by 53 (Docklands)R5, 2022: Saints by 26 (Docklands)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.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:26pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:26pmWill this be Ben King's last game for the Suns?Ben King has kicked 312 goals for the Suns since 2019 - is tonight his club finale? (Getty Images)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.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:24pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:24pmSydney Swans sponsors suspend partnerships with players following alleged Melbourne incidentA 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.You can read more about the story here:Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:20pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:20pmSwans absentees, Nick Daicos management headline round 24 team listsIt's Thursday night of the final round, so as usual the teams are dropping for the weekend's games.Given next week is the wildcard round, there were queries over whether teams higher up the ladder would choose to rest multiple players for round 24.For the Sydney Swans, there are special circumstances, with five players ruled out of selection for the rest of the season.As expected, Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner, James Jordon and Riley Bice are missing from the Sydney team list for their Sunday game against North Melbourne.Into the extended line-up come James Rowbottom, Angus Sheldrick, Tom Hanily, Harry Cunningham, Caiden Cleary, Malcolm Rosas Jr, Corey Warner and debutant Patrick Snell.The minor premiers Fremantle have named a side with three players missing from the team that beat the Crows in Perth last week.Jye Amiss, Heath Chapman and Sam Switkowski are managed to avoid the trip east, while Judd McVee, Bailey Banfield and debutant Tobyn Murray come in.There was speculation that Nick Daicos might be managed for the final round, but he has been named for Collingwood vs Brisbane on Friday night at the Gabba. Jeremy Howe and Steele Sidebottom come in with Noah Howes omitted and Isaac Quaynor injured.Other big changes include:The Crows bring back Taylor Walker, Alex Neal-Bullen and Wayne Milera against GWS.Geelong brings back Jeremy Cameron, Sam De Koning and Jack Martin against Richmond, with Mark Blicavs and Ollie Wiltshire managed and James Worpel out with a hamstring.Marcus Bontempelli and Bailey Dale are among the ins for Western Bulldogs against Melbourne, while Tom Liberatore is among those managed.And Jack Ginnivan will miss Hawthorn's match against West Coast on Sunday evening with injury.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:17pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:17pmSwans allegations make for a "horrendous" week for women in footyWith a number of Sydney's men's players linked to a police investigation into allegations of sexual assault at a Melbourne hotel, Marnie Vinall explains here how the women's team has been thrust into an unfair spotlight and become an unwilling casualty of events.The AFLW team had a big win over the Crows in Adelaide to kick off their season, and are set to play in a double-header with the men's team on Sunday at the SCG.Instead, the club's respect for women has been brought into question, with the women's players and women in the football community left feeling hurt and angry by the actions of the men's players.The club has suspended five of its men's players — Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner, James Jordon and Riley Bice — for the remainder of the 2026 season for breaching club behavioural standards.It is not suggested that they are being accused of sexual assault, and no-one has been arrested or charged in relation to the alleged incident.Sympathies across the footy space remain, first and foremost, with the alleged victim, including everyone spoken to for this story.While finding it difficult to talk about anyone outside of the woman at the centre of this story, AFLW pioneer Chyloe Kurdas told ABC Sport it had been a "horrendous" week for many women in the footy space.You can read more of Marnie's analysis piece here:Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:13pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:13pmTeams are in for Saints vs Suns(AFL.com.au)There are no late changes for either side, and you can check both the line-ups above.For St Kilda, Alix Tauru is omitted and Jack Higgins is out with a lower leg injury.In come Liam Ryan and Dougal Howard. Howard will play his 100th and final game for St Kilda after announcing his retirement.For the Suns, there are a trio of injury-related absences. Wil Powell (shoulder), Christian Petracca (foot) and Sam Collins (rib) are all out for the final game of the season.Into the side come Jarrod Witts and Ben Jepson, while Nick Holman (like Howard) returns for his 145th and final game for the Suns after he announced he was hanging up the boots.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:10pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 7:10pmDemons lose appeal on Jacob van Rooyen with forward to miss three matchesWe have some news in from the AFL Tribunal, where Melbourne has lost an appeal against Jacob van Rooyen's three-match ban for striking Port Adelaide's Aliir Aliir.Van Rooyen was given the ban for his arm connecting with Aliir's head as a went for a mark at Adelaide Oval.The Power defender was taken from the ground and failed a HIA, leading to the assessment of the incident as careless conduct, high impact and severe impact. This was upheld at the Tribunal on Tuesday, and the appeal failed tonight.Van Rooyen will be out of the team to face Western Bulldogs on Saturday, and up to two finals if the Demons win their first game.Thu 20 Aug 2026 at 6:58pmThu 20 Aug 2026 at 6:58pmA note regarding SydneyAs we begin a big weekend of football, we'd just like to advise that while we will post stories in the blog relating to updates on the Sydney Swans and the ongoing investigation, we will not be posting any comments relating to the team or the situation.