North Melbourne v Essendon
Friday, April 19 - 4.20pm AEST
Marvel Stadium

Form

North Melbourne (1-3) v Essendon (2-2)
After slow starts for both sides in 2019, it seems North Melbourne and Essendon have found their respective rhythms after the opening four rounds.

North recorded its first win of the season last Saturday night, defeating the Crows by 12 points, although the margin could well have been greater if it wasn’t for some inaccurate kicking.

As for Essendon, losses in Rounds 1 and 2 have been balanced out by back-to-back wins over the past fortnight, defeating Melbourne and Brisbane by 18 and 47 points respectively.

Last time we met

Being traditional rivals means that contests between the Roos and Bombers are often fiery and exciting, and the last time these two sides met was no different.

Essendon claimed the four points in a shootout at Marvel Stadium, outscoring North 125 to 108 in one of 2018’s most memorable matches.

The Bombers’ midfielders ran wild, with captain Dyson Heppell and Zach Merrett both recording in excess of 30 disposals and combining for 11 tackles.

Up forward, Shaun McKernan and Orazio Fantasia were efficient, slotting four goals each and limiting their behinds to just one between them.

For North, Shaun Higgins was at his best again, collecting 31 disposals and proving to be a handful offensively, recording 7 inside 50’s.

Mason Wood was a presence up forward, kicking 3.3, while Ben Cunnington, Luke McDonald and Ben Brown all featured with two of their own.

Key matchup 

Ben Brown v Cale Hooker
Against the Crows, it was a three-goal third term from Ben Brown which catapulted the Roos back into the contest, and ultimately the lead.

Having kicked 12 goals to date, Brown has still managed to find the goals without hitting the form that saw him be a contender for the Coleman medal in the past two seasons.

Mason Wood’s inclusion resulted in a much more balanced forward-line, which in turn, has looks to have helped Brown.

Essendon defender Cale Hooker was tasked with Brown the last time these two sides met, and Friday will likely be no different.

Hooker returned to the side last weekend against the Lions, having missed the opening three rounds with a calf injury.

He took little time settling into the season, collecting 23 disposals and taking 13 marks and playing a solid defensive role on Brisbane’s forwards.

The 30-year-old’s return sees the reunion of he and Hurley, who have formed a stingy partnership over the years.

It’s won and lost in…

….North’s backline
While Essendon’s tall forwards haven’t been overly dominant in the opening month of the season, it’s been its smalls who have done the damage on the scoreboard.

Led by Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, the Bombers’ talented mosquito fleet has caused headaches for opponents, and this weekend will likely be no different.

McDonald-Tipungwuti has starred in 2019, kicking 11 goals for the season, including a bag of 7 last weekend at the MCG.

Jake Stringer has also chimed in with some goals of his own, having kicked 7 in his four appearances.

North’s backline will no doubt have its hands full on Friday, particularly without Luke McDonald, whose suspension was upheld earlier this week.

McDonald joins Marley Williams as sidelined defenders, leaving the likes of Jamie Macmillan, Jasper Pittard, Sam Wright and Shaun Atley to look after McDonald-Tipungwuti and Stringer.

Pittard has been in impressive form since arriving from Port Adelaide late last year, and Shaun Atley has been a prominent feature since making the move to defence.

Keep an eye on…

...Darcy Parish and Jy Simpkin
Having missed Round 1 through form, Darcy Parish has made his way back into Essendon’s senior side and has been a solid contributor.

The high half-forward isn’t a large accumulator, but is efficient will ball in hand and can be an offensive threat.

Averaging 20 disposals per game, Parish ranks number 1 amongst his side for goal assists, and sixth in the competition, averaging 1.67 per game,

Fellow 21-year-old Jy Simpkin comes into the clash off the back of his best performance of the season, collecting 19 disposals and playing a strong role for North.

Drifting between the forward-line and the midfield, Simpkin’s trademark explosiveness and evasiveness was on show, impacting the game both on the inside and outside of the contest.

While it’s unlikely they’ll go head-to-head, both will play similar roles for their side.