Essendon v North Melbourne
Sunday, May 23 - 4.40pm AEST
Marvel Stadium
North Melbourne plays “the team next door” this weekend, and will be looking to add yet another positive chapter to one of the longest-standing rivalries in AFL-history.
From Essendon’s attempting to block North’s entry into the VFL in the 1920’s, to the Denis Pagan and Kevin Sheedy era of the 1990s, to Jake Stringer’s baiting wave in 2018, this is a rivalry that spans generations.
North is finally on the winners' list in 2021 after last week’s come-from-behind victory against Hawthorn, and the lift and momentum only victory can provide has come at the right time, right before an important clash with the old enemy.
Trailing by 32 points during the second quarter, North looked on the ropes, however the boys in royal blue and white rallied to kick six consecutive goals in the second half, and managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Lachie Young running back with the flight with 90 seconds to go personified the fight shown by North to get over the line, while Cam Zurhaar and a returning Taylor Garner kicked 7 goals between them.
However, the real stars of the show were North’s midfielders, winning clearance after clearance, with the sheer effort shown by Jy Simpkin, Ben Cunnington and company elevating the whole side.
Essendon won somewhat more fortuitously last week, taking advantage of an inaccurate Fremantle side who kicked 6 goals and 13 behinds, squeezing over the line by just 7 points.
Darcy Parish continued his impressive form in the midfield, while Jayden Laverde finished with a game-high 9 intercepts, as he stopped Fremantle’s forays forward before they could start.
Harrison Jones and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti kicked 2 goals each, while Nick Hind quietly racked up 31 disposals and 523 metres gained in the shadow of the brilliant Parish.
Last time we met
Round 6, 2020
It was Essendon who came out on top in a tight contest in 2020, overcoming a spirited North side by just 14 points on a wet and slippery day at Metricon Stadium.
North led by five points at quarter time, but inaccurate goal kicking saw it kick four goals and seven behinds for the remainder of the game.
Todd Goldstein was at his dominant best, with the veteran ruck racking up 29 hitouts, 6 clearances and a goal, while Jy Simpkin added 23 disposals and 7 clearances in his leading midfield role.
David Zaharakis did the damage on the scoreboard for Essendon as he finished with 3 goals, while Andrew McGrath and Will Snelling finished with 8 tackles, bringing the pressure in a tight midfield showing.
The matchup
Jy Simpkin v Darcy Parish
A pair of young, breakout inside-midfielders will match up on Sunday, and Jy Simpkin and Darcy Parish look to battle for ascendancy in the middle of the ground on Sunday.
Simpkin enters the clash coming off a career-best game, registering career-highs in disposals (38), tackles (9), clearances (14) and contested possessions (23) against Hawthorn, with the newly minted vice-captain leading from the front to pull his side back into the contest.
The 23-year-old is looking to take the step up into the class of the AFL’s elite midfielders, and his performances in 2021 so far indicate he is more than ready to make the leap.
Darcy Parish has made a permanent move into the middle of the ground this season, with the former number five draft pick often being utilised as an outside midfielder or forward in the early stages of his career.
The position change has paid dividends for Parish, who currently ranks fifth in the AFL for total clearances and is averaging almost 30 disposals a game.
Last week against Fremantle he collected a career-high 1- clearances and finished with 39 disposals, putting up numbers comparative to Simpkin’s against the Hawks.
Both will be ably supported in the midfield by the likes of Luke Davies-Uniacke and Andrew McGrath, but if either young midfielder can take the game by the scruff of the neck in the same fashion as last week, it will go a long way to winning the contest for their side.
The key men
Aaron Hall and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
Since his move to the backline early in the season, Aaron Hall is playing like a man possessed.
Over the last three weeks, Hall has averaged almost 33 disposals, 9 marks and 6 score involvements in his playmaking role on the half-back flank.
His experience and attacking nous have been instrumental to the development of this young side, with the veteran not only offering incredible performances on game day, but thriving in a mentoring role for many of North’s young stars.
An elite kick of the football, Hall’s ability to hit difficult targets in the middle of the ground is crucial to the free-flowing, fast style of football David Noble wants his side to play.
Since being taken in the 2015 rookie draft, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti has been a picture of consistency for Essendon, finishing in the top ten for its best and fairest in every season of his professional career.
Along with teammate Cale Hooker, McDonald-Tipungwuti is Essendon’s leading goal kicker with 22 majors, enough to be ranked seventh in the AFL.
He’s a deadly force when he’s give space the run and carry the football, with his agility and athleticism lending itself well to his exciting style of play.
It’s possible that Hall and McDonald-Tipungwuti become direct opponents at some point during the game, but both will play key roles to the fortunes of their respective sides regardless of any personal battle they may have.
The stat
The midfield performances of Jy Simpkin and Ben Cunnington were of historic quality on the weekend, with their performances in the middle of the park stacking up well against some of the greatest of all time.
With 27 clearances between them, the dynamic duo finished just one clearance short of Hawthorn’s whole team, leading the way to a +22 clearance differential in North Melbourne’s favour.
Luke Davies-Uniacke was not one to be left behind though, as he finished as North’s third highest clearance winner with 11. Hawthorn’s leading clearance-winner was James Worpel with 4.
Cunnington’s 27 contested possessions were enough to take second place in North’s all-time rankings of contested possessions in one game, sitting just short of his own career best 32 set in 2018.
Simpkin was not just an effective influence moving the football forward though, as he laid a game high 9 tackles, attacking the Hawks midfield with ferocity and grit to win the ball for his teammates.
