North Melbourne v Geelong
Sunday, May 12 - 1.10pm AEST
Marvel Stadium

Form

North Melbourne (2-5) v Geelong (6-1)

North Melbourne and Geelong come into this clash with contrasting records, however given the evenness across the league, anything is possible.

North is coming off the back of a convincing 58-point win over Carlton last Sunday, in which the Roos had two players kick four or more goals, and two players have 37 or more disposals.

For Geelong, it’s in red-hot form, toppling Essendon by 37 points to remain one game clear on top of the ladder and catapult into premiership favoritism.

Last time we met

The last time North and Geelong met, it was one to forget for the Roos, who were on the receiving end of a 37-point defeat at GMBHA Stadium in Round 12, 2018.

For the Cats, Gary Ablett earned the three votes for his 34 disposals and one goal, while Tom Hawkins was prolific in front of goal, booting three and collecting 23 touches.

Shaun Higgins led the way for North, ending the afternoon with 30 disposals, two goals, eight clearances and ten inside 50s, while fellow midfielder Ben Cunnington had 22 touches and slotted one major.

When these sides last met at Marvel Stadium, the match was a lot more memorable, with the Cats claiming a one-point victory in Round 2, 2017.

Key matchup

Ben Brown v Mark Blicavs

Over the past few seasons, Brown has proven to be one of the game’s best forwards, and after a relatively slow start to his 2019, he appears to be hitting his straps. 

Brown stood tall in the opening half when the game was there to be won last Sunday, booting four majors to give the Roos a 53-point lead at half-time.

Going at 80 per cent in front of goal against the Blues, the 26-year-old’s radar was back after some uncharacteristic misses in the first six rounds.

In addition to his accuracy, his forward pressure was second to none, laying two impressive tackles which eventuated in majors. 

Brown will have his work cut out for him this weekend however, with dual Geelong best and fairest winner Mark Blicavs likely to be tasked with keeping Brown quiet.

The athletic defender was dominant last weekend on Joe Daniher, keeping him to just one goal, which will no doubt earn him Brownlow votes at season’s end.

Blicavs is averaging just one goal against this season and he kept Coleman Medal leader and GWS spearhead Jeremy Cameron goalless in Round 4.

The Cat is often assisted by the likes of Harry Taylor and Rhys Stanley, but with Mason Wood, Nick Larkey and Todd Goldstein all capable of taking marks inside forward 50, it may be an old-fashioned one-on-one contest.

It’s won and lost in…

...the midfield.

There’s no doubting the power of Geelong’s midfield, and with names such as Dangerfield, Selwood, Kelly, Duncan, Ablett and Dahlhaus rotating through there, there’s little wonder why it is one of the most dangerous in the competition.

It will be a large test for North’s on-ballers whose formed has wavered throughout the year, but seems to be on the up after an impressive performance last weekend. 

Shaun Higgins and Trent Dumont were prominent, collecting 37 and 38 disposals respectively, while Jed Anderson and Ben Cunnington were a presence in the contest, combining for 24 contested possessions. 

While North’s offensive numbers were impressive, it’s the defensive side of the game that will be the true barometer of the Roos’ performance this weekend. 

Dangerfield leads the Cats’ disposal count with an average of 25.57 per match, while Tim Kelly and Mitch Duncan rank third and fourth with 24.43 and and 24 respectively.

Selwood, who was rested last week, will come back fresh, plus Ablett and Dahlhaus spend the majority of their time forward, but can be impactful players through the middle. 

Keep an eye on… 

Tarryn Thomas and Gary Rohan

Thomas is quickly making a name for himself amongst North Melbourne supporters, with his hardness, skill and poise making him a fan favourite.

Despite playing just five senior games, the 19-year-old continues to look comfortable at AFL-level, and is coming off the back of his best performance to date.

Last week he collected 19 disposals, laid seven tackles and kicked a goal as an impressive half forward.

Fellow first-year player Jordan Clark could be his direct opponent, which would provide a very interesting match-up.

Since making the move from Sydney at the end of 2018, Rohan is playing career-best football and is a big reason for Geelong’s impressive start to the season.

Averaging 0.9 goals over his nine seasons as a Swan, Rohan is going at 2.3 game in his seven matches as a Cat, ranking him sixth amongst the league in goals per game.

Overall he’s booted 16 majors, the fourth most in the competition, and has worked well in tandem with the likes of Tom Hawkins and Gary Ablett.