The AFL is preparing for an abysmal turnout at the match between North Melbourne and West Coast at Carrara.

A crowd of 5000 to 6000 is expected, roughly half the attendance of all previous AFL matches at the ground since the start of last year, including pre-season cup games.

Former Brisbane Bears captain and coach Roger Merrett, a long-time Gold Coast resident, yesterday called for understanding for North Melbourne's decision to remain Melbourne-based.

"I try to enlighten people up here — don't be too harsh on them, they made a decision on what they thought was best for their club, and you must respect that decision and move on," Merrett said.

"There's a lot of passion, a lot of history, and it tugs at the heartstrings when you start talking about moving a club out of Melbourne. I know it happened with South Melbourne and I still recall a lot of tension."

Events have conspired against the match since the fixture was determined last year, before North Melbourne turned its back on the Gold Coast as a prospective second home.

It was also before the banning of Ben Cousins and the defection of Chris Judd to Carlton, shattering blows that have resulted in West Coast plunging from the elite of the competition to near the bottom of the ladder this year.

Daniel Kerr will miss the match through suspension.

And another effect on the marketability of the game is that the match between the Brisbane Lions and Carlton at Telstra Dome — a game featuring some of the competition's biggest names in Judd, Jonathan Brown, Brendan Fevola and Simon Black — will be broadcast live on free-to-air television in south-east Queensland on the night.

Gold Coast mayor and former Olympian Ron Clarke said many AFL fans had been disappointed by the Kangaroos' decision to remain in Melbourne.

"I think they'll get a positive reception from the numbers that are there," Clarke said. "The ones that are disappointed with the Kangaroos' change in direction probably won't go."

But, Clarke urged fans to attend the game. "I'd recommend that they go; it's still AFL football in the flesh and we're pretty well starved for it," he said.

Both Clarke and Merrett agreed that the Gold Coast would ultimately be better served by having its own team.

AFL Queensland chief executive Richard Griffiths said he did not believe that the expected poor turnout at Carrara tomorrow night would reflect in any way on the Gold Coast's desire for its own team.