WHO: North Melbourne v Richmond
WHERE AND WHEN: Blundstone Arena, Friday June 3, 7:50pm AEST
TV AND RADIO: Broadcast guide
TICKETS: Purchase tickets
THE LAST FIVE
1EF, 2015, North Melbourne 15.15 (105) d Richmond 14.4 (88) at the MCG
R23, 2015, Richmond 16.12 (108) d North Melbourne 10.7 (67) at Etihad Stadium
R6, 2015, North Melbourne 16.13 (109) d Richmond 10.14 (74) at Blundstone Arena
R12, 2014, North Melbourne 17.14 (116) d Richmond 13.10 (88) at Etihad Stadium
R15, 2013, North Melbourne 19.14 (128) d Richmond 8.18 (66) at Etihad Stadium
SUMMARY (AFL.COM.AU)
Friday night footy heads to Tasmania for the first time and locals should be treated to a fascinating contest between last year's elimination final combatants.
After a nightmare start, Richmond has salvaged its season from the brink of disaster courtesy of three straight wins and – with Gold Coast and the Brisbane Lions to come either side of the bye – the finals flame will flicker a little brighter if the Tigers can upset the Roos at their Hobart fortress.
North suffered its first loss for the season in a slog against the Sydney Swans at the SCG in round 10, in the first match of a tough six-game test of its premiership credentials.
Brad Scott's men will be desperate not to cough up their hard-earned top spot.
THE HEADLINES
North's Tassie 'fortress'
Luke McDonald says North will go in confident at its home away from home in Hobart on Friday night… MORE
Brown: Roos will bounce back
“We would have been doing pretty well to go 22-0 for the season, so the loss was probably going to come at some point."… MORE
ET: Tigers' reinforcements
The make-up of Richmond's team is in doubt, with several players carrying niggles and Troy Chaplin and Connor Menadue flying to Tasmania… MORE
TEAMS
North Melbourne
Backs S.Atley 18 R.Tarrant 25 L.McDonald 21
Half Backs M.Firrito 11 S.Thompson 16 N.Dal Santo 15
Centreline J.Ziebell 7 D.Wells 8 J.Macmillan 34
Half Forwards S.Gibson 43 J.Waite 30 B.Harvey 29
Forwards B.Brown 50 D.Petrie 20 L.Thomas 12
Followers T.Goldstein 22 A.Swallow 9 B.Cunnington 10
Interchange B.McKenzie 2 S.Wright 19 R.Nahas 28 M.Wood 32
Emergencies T.Dumont 14 A.Mullett 17 M.Daw 38
In: M.Wood
Out: T.Dumont (Omitted)
Richmond
Backs D.Grimes 2 D.Astbury 12 A.Rance 18
Half Backs K.Lambert 23 T.Hunt 28 B.Deledio 3
Centreline S.Morris 38 S.Grigg 6 T.Cotchin 9
Half Forwards J.Batchelor 11 D.Martin 4 D.Rioli 17
Forwards J.Riewoldt 8 S.Lloyd 27 S.Edwards 10
Followers S.Hampson 16 B.Ellis 5 B.Griffiths 24
Interchange N.Vlastuin 1 A.Miles 26 T.Vickery 29 C.Ellis 32
Emergencies O.Markov 31 T.Chaplin 25 C.Menadue 37
Unchanged
Mason Wood returns after suffering a concussion against Essendon.
THE COACH SAID
THE PLAYER SAID
THE SIX STATS (AFL.com.au)
1. North has dominated Richmond recently, winning seven of the last nine contests, including five in a row from 2011-15.
2. The Tigers are facing a tough task at Blundstone Arena, where the Roos have won eight of their last 10 matches, including their last seven in a row.
3. Neither side peppers their attack with inside 50s. The Kangaroos are ranked 10th at 52.7 per game, while Richmond is equal 14th averaging 47.2.
4. The Tigers are excellent at finding targets inside 50. Richmond is ranked fourth (13.5) for marks inside 50 and, although they're ranked 10th, the Roos aren't far behind, taking 12.1 marks on average.
5. North champion Brent Harvey is still among the very best in the Schick Official AFL Player Ratings, but he's taken a tumble from 11th in the competition after round four to 24th overall – his lowest-ever ranking.
6. In-form Tigers ruckman Shaun Hampson (averaging 29 hit-outs) will have a crucial role restricting Todd Goldstein, who is ranked second for total hit-outs (378 in 10 games). The Kangaroos are the league's best centre clearance team, averaging 14.9.
Shaun Hampson is keeping Ivan Maric out of the Richmond side.
THE BURNING QUESTIONS
To tag or not to tag?
Ben Jacobs held Trent Cotchin to just nine possessions when the teams met in a final last year, but the Roos' number one tagger is missing this time around. Will North opt to put a designated stopper on the Tigers' skipper?
Sam Gibson was another key player last time around, blanketing Brandon Ellis (10 disposals), while having a big impact the other way (20 disposals). Will Brad Scott look to repeat the match-up?
Who will come out of the cold?
It's the first ever Friday night game in Tassie, and it's sure to be cold. The teams could be reaching for the long-sleeved jumpers, but will the Roos' experience at Blundstone Arena prove advantageous?
The breeze has wreaked havoc in North's recent games at the venue, but it's been able to adapt and make Hobart somewhat of a fortress, with seven wins in a row.
Can North's tall get on top?
Waite, Petrie and Brown combined for eight goals between them in the Elimination Final, with the former causing the most trouble.
In defence, David Astbury will hold down a key post for the Tigers with Troy Chaplin missing from last year's finals' side, while Alex Rance will make the Roos' forwards work for every touch.
North's big three have been quieter in recent weeks, and will be keen to hit the scoreboard, with Mason Wood providing another dimension as a medium-sized option.
Nevertheless, the expected cold conditions won't make it easy for the high-marking forwards.
How will North respond?
After its first loss of the season against Sydney, can North bounce back? The Roos were far from their best last week, but still got within 26 points.
Brad Scott's team has lost two on the trot only three times since 2014; with top spot on the line and the Swans gaining ground, there's plenty on the line on Friday night.
Brent Harvey will be looking to bounce back after a quiet game against Sydney.
