AFL round 16 expert tips: Wild stat Max Gawn is clinging to as Demons' season sits on the brink of finals elimination

Melbourne may be on the brink of finals elimination, but captain Max Gawn is still confident they can turn things around.

The Demons face one of the toughest road trips in footy in round 16, heading to Queensland to face Gold Coast.

The only teams to travel to the Gold Coast and beat the Suns at home since the beginning of 2024 are Fremantle and Melbourne, something Gawn is clinging to.

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"If you look at recent form, we were the only team to (travel and) beat them on the Gold Coast last year," Gawn told Triple M.

"But then they got us by 50 points at the start of this year.

"That was in the middle of our 0-5 start, wasn't a great little period for us.

"They're very quick. They're very good up there. I think our best can do it."

Brisbane also beat the Suns at Carrara last season.

The Demons sit three games out of eighth and haven't scored 75 points in a game since round 12.

Gawn admits the pressure is on their ball use going inside 50.

"We're always looking at it. Simon Goodwin every mid-year tells us how we're going and we're very good between the arcs, but not very good at either end of the ground," Gawn said.

"Our forward line connection is something that we've looked at. A lot of it is the guys kicking in. People say we have no forward line. Our guys aren't kicking it in great."

Nine's expert tipsters are universally backing Gold Coast to win, something they will need to do if they want to remain in the top eight hunt this season.

See all of their tips below:

Expert tips 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