Round 24 of the AFL season opens with a Thursday night fixture that looked far better on the schedule than it does in reality. St Kilda and Gold Coast meet at Marvel Stadium with nothing to play for beyond pride, draft positioning and whatever momentum can be banked for next February.

The Saints briefly kept their Wildcard hopes breathing with a 94-45 win over Richmond at the MCG on Saturday. Very briefly - hope lasted about a day. When the Bulldogs and Blues played out a draw on Sunday, St Kilda's top-10 chances were gone.

Which is a shame, because individually the Saints were excellent. Max Hall's stocks went up again with a career-high 40 disposals and a goal. Bradley Hill piled on 41 touches of his own. Mitch Owens booted a career-high five majors.

Gold Coast's Saturday ran the other way entirely, a 95-53 loss to Brisbane at the Gabba. Christian Petracca's lean patch rolled on with 12 disposals and a behind. A side that opened the year as a genuine premiership fancy has now lost 11 of their past 12 and cannot finish higher than 13th.

The one comfort for Suns fans is the head-to-head. Gold Coast handled these Saints 89-60 back in Round 9, when both clubs still had the season in front of them.

Two campaigns that have unravelled before our very eyes play off with one final opportunity to show the people what could’ve been.

For the latest team news, analysis, and expert insights, check out our St Kilda vs Gold Coast Suns Round 24 prediction and preview below.

St Kilda vs Gold Coast Suns Prediction and Betting Tips

Head-to-Head Prediction

This scheduling has gone sideways on the AFL. Both squads have slid down the ladder across the back half of the season and the fixture that was penned in as a Thursday night showpiece now doubles as an audition for 2027.

For the Suns, the drop has been catastrophic. The line out of the club all year was that the list was almost ready to go and the closing months have made that claim very hard to defend.

The Saints, by contrast, should be better placed than they are, but the talent is assembling. Hall has been immense, particularly in Wanganeen-Milera's absence. Bradley Hill is a nice way to play too, racking up possessions at will since sliding to half back.

Prime time on the TV guide with nothing on the line. Fingers crossed these two clubs can still put on a show.

Gold Coast still carries the heavier artillery and, on a night when neither side is chasing anything but a scoreline, we'll back the group with more class through the middle.

Head-to-head prediction: Gold Coast Suns by 11 points.

First Goal Scorer Prediction

We're looking for a big one from Ben King. His back half of the season has been disappointing and his formline has followed the club's trajectory almost step for step.

That makes Thursday night a chance to reset. He'll be desperate to nab one early and take some of the pressure off and the Suns have every reason to feed him the moment the ball goes forward.

Whether he can kick the nine or more he'd need to run down Charlie Curnow for the Coleman Medal remains highly unlikely. Kicking the first, though, is very much on the table.

Betting tip: Ben King.

Most Disposals Prediction

You've got to think Matt Rowell absolutely eats this up.

Max Hall killed it last week against Richmond with 40 disposals and there's a real argument for him here. But this stacked Gold Coast midfield surely gets the win at the coalface and Rowell will be a big part of the reason why.

Betting tip: Matt Rowell.

AFL Same Game Multi Tips

Betting tip: Gold Coast H2H, Ben King 3+ goals, Matt Rowell 30+ disposals, Mitch Owens 2+ goals.

Odds are subject to change. *

St Kilda vs Gold Coast Suns Predicted Teams

St Kilda Saints Predicted Team List

FB: Liam O'Connell, Callum Wilkie, Jack Silvagni

HB: Liam Stocker, Marcus Windhager, Angus Hastie

C: Hugh Boxshall, Mitch Owens, Darcy Wilson

HF: Bradley Hill, Jack Higgins, Ryan Byrnes

FF: Dan Butler, Rowan Marshall, Cooper Sharman

FOLL: Tom De Koning, Hugo Garcia, Max Hall

I/C: Tobie Travaglia, Jack Macrae, Mattaes Phillipou, Alix Tauru, Campbell Lake

Gold Coast Suns Predicted Team List

FB: Bodhi Uwland, Sam Collins, Mac Andrew

HB: John Noble, Wil Powell, Daniel Rioli

C: Ben Long, Noah Anderson, Sam Clohesy

HF: Ethan Read, Bailey Humphrey, Christian Petracca

FF: Ben King, Jed Walter, Leo Lombard

FOLL: Ned Moyle, Matt Rowell, Touk Miller

I/C: Charlie Ballard, Joel Jeffrey, Jake Rogers, Beau Addinsall, Lachlan Gulbin

St Kilda vs Gold Coast Suns Match Details

Date: Thursday, August 20, 2026.

First Bounce: 7:30pm AEST

Location: Marvel Stadium, Melbourne

How to Watch: Fox Footy / Kayo Sports / Channel 7