It was the Suns' 10th win, matching the season-best of 2014, but again coming up short of finishing in the top-eight to play in the finals.
Gold Coast set up the 16.18 (114) to 6.11 (47) victory with superior efficiency with the ball, control around the stoppages and a functioning forward line led by veteran Alex Sexton with a career-best six goals.
"Everyone aims to play finals and we fell a couple of wins short," Suns coach Stuart Dew said.
"We lost three (games) by under 10 points, but when you reflect on the year, there was real growth individually and collectively.
"The midfield group were unbelievable, led by Touk (Miller), Jarrod Witts and Noah Anderson."
It was a disappointing collective assessment from the Kangaroos players for incoming senior coach Alastair Clarkson as he watching the game away from the Docklands stadium.
Clarkson at least would have been heartened by several individual performances, such as No.1 draft pick Jason Horne-Francis with his work in the midfield until he was forced off with a cut head late in the third quarter.
Backman Ben McKay kept Suns' key forward Levi Casboult goalless and Curtis Taylor picked up 25 possessions and a goal while dulling the influence of Suns co-captain Miller, one of the Brownlow Medal favourites, to a manageable 25 disposals.
Roos caretaker coach Leigh Adams said he wasn't surprised by the drop-off of intensity from his players, particularly in the second half of his sixth games in charge of the senior team.
"It was a really frustrating day. I thought over the six weeks we'll get a drop off, emotionally and mentally, and it happened today," he said.
"It (coaching change) took its toll in the end, but I was really proud of the effort of the boys over the last six weeks."
Adams said the Kangaroos can improve quickly, given the youth and inexperience on the senior list.Â
And he illustrated that with the impressive debut of Joshua Goater who had 21 possessions and set up the Roos' first goal with a bold pass into the centre corridor from half-back.
North Melbourne really only threatened once with goals from Hugh Greenwood and Luke Davies-Uniacke early in the third quarter.
But the Suns responded to the challenge with five unanswered goals from Sexton (two), Miller, Malcolm Rosas and Mabior Chol to put the contest beyond reach.
The Suns added seven goals from stoppages, an indication of the on-ball monopoly that would have been noted by Clarkson to rectify for the 2023 season.
The Queenslanders had goals on the board from Noah Anderson and Malcolm Rosas before several Kangaroos had touched the ball.
And late goals in the first quarter from Alex Davies and Sexton set up an early scoreboard buffer that was too easily defended after halftime.
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