Fremantle v North Melbourne
Sunday, March 24 - 6.20pm AEDT
Optus Stadium
Form
Both Fremantle and North Melbourne will be aiming to secure their first wins of the year this weekend, after both sides failed to record a win in the JLT Community Series.
The Dockers fell short by 27 points in JLT1 against a red-hot Collingwood side, and failed to claim the bragging rights the following week in their match against premiers West Coast, falling short by 51 points.
As for the Roos, a 25-point loss to the Saints on March 2 wasn’t the ideal result, before a trip to Adelaide saw them go down to the Power by 21 points.
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Despite the scorelines seeming undesirable at first glance, both teams were missing key personnel including Nat Fyfe for the Dockers, and for the Roos, Ben Cunnington and Robbie Tarrant were notable absentees.
Last time we met
When these two sides most recently met, it was Round 10, 2018 at Optus Stadium and North was the one that left with the premiership points, defeating Fremantle by 28 points.
While Todd Goldstein played his 200th, it was Fyfe and Ben Jacobs that caught the eyes of many, going head-to-head in the midfield, collecting 31 and 29 disposals respectively and kicking a goal each.
Despite it being an uncharacteristically wet day in Perth, North’s talls did the damage on the scoreboard, with Jarrad Waite, Mason Wood and Ben Brown combining for seven goals.
The big men went toe-to-toe in the ruck, with Todd Goldstein winning 42 hit-outs, and Aaron Sandilands earning 35 of his own.
Key matchups
Robbie Tarrant v Rory Lobb
Stopping a 207-centimetre forward is never an easy task, and that’s exactly what Tarrant is likely to encounter this Sunday when he lines up on Lobb.
Once a GWS Giant, Lobb requested a trade to Fremantle in October last year, and Fremantle was more than willing to strike a deal given the lack of experienced tall targets inside forward 50.
At GWS he was forced to share the forwardline with dominant key forwards Jeremy Cameron and Jonathon Patton, but this weekend, he’ll likely be the main man.
For Tarrant, it’s been a frustrating pre-season, initially limited due to a calf complaint, before undergoing surgery to repair an AC joint less than a month ago.
One of the most underrated defenders in the competition, Tarrant has worked tirelessly to ensure he’s fit and ready to go in order to help his side in its season opener.
It’s won and lost in…
... the ruck battle.
While the match-up between Sean Darcy and Goldstein doesn’t jump off the page in isolation, the winner of that contest will likely prove to be crucial in determining the overall outcome.
Both sides are blessed with classy, exciting midfielders, so being able to provide them with first-use would only play to their strengths.
Darcy will likely find himself rucking to Nat Fyfe, David Mundy, Andrew Brayshaw and Adam Cerra, while Goldstein will have Shaun Higgins, Ben Cunnington and Jy Simpkin at his feet to start.
With both backlines and forwards relatively evenly matched, any ascendency either side can get in the middle will go a long way in claiming the four points.
Keep an eye on…
... Joel Hamling and Jack Ziebell.
In his second year at the Dockers, key defender Joel Hamling has flown under the radar since he departed the Western Bulldogs at the end of 2016.
The premiership player is often tasked with manning the opposition’s best key forward, and last time these two sides met, Hamling lined-up on Ben Brown.
In 2018, Hamling averaged 5.9 marks per game and led his side in spoils per game, producing just under seven per game.
For the Roos, skipper Jack Ziebell will likely need a solid outing in front of goal to assist number one forward Ben Brown.
A revelation inside forward 50 last season, kicked 35 goals for the year, and only looks likely to spend more time alongside Brown and co.
After the retirement of Jarrad Waite, North will need to find another source of goals, and a slight uptick in performance by Ziebell and others could be the answer.
