North Melbourne v Brisbane
Sunday, March 31 - 1.10pm AEDT
Marvel Stadium 

Form

North (0-1) v Brisbane (1-0)

North Melbourne comes into Round 2 eager to record its first win of the season, which is a stark contrast to Brisbane, coming off the back of an upset win.

The Roos will be hoping to bounce back from an 82-point defeat at the hands of the Fremantle Dockers at Optus Stadium, in which the visitors only led once, and that came at the midway point of the first quarter.

As for the Lions, they’re in red-hot form, defeating the reigning premiers, West Coast, by 44 points at home.

Last time we met

When these sides most recently met, it was in Round 20, 2018 at the Gabba and it was an absolute nail-biter, with North claiming the victory in a three-point win.

Then first-year player Cameron Rayner missed a set-shot late in the fourth quarter to give his team the lead, however three goals and 26 disposals from Roos’ skipper Jack Ziebell was enough tolead North to the win.

Lions’ skipper Dayne Zorko was awarded the three votes, starring with 35 disposals and two goals, while youngster Hugh McCluggage was also impactful, collecting 26 disposals and kicking three goals.

Round 11, 2018 was the last time the Roos and Lions met at Marvel Stadium, and once again it was North claiming the four-points, running away with a 54-point victory.

Key matchup

Marley Williams v Charlie Cameron

The last time these two sides met, Cameron didn’t feature, and given his ability to hit the scoreboard and impact games it came as a big boost to North.

Defender Marley Williams is often tasked with keeping the opposition’s best small forward quiet and looks a likely match-up.

Cameron was influential in Round 1, kicking three goals, including a Goal of the Year contender, and made a strong return to football after a foot injury against North in Round 11 cut his 2018 season short.

Williams is an underrated one-on-one defender and can win the ball himself and hurt teams offensively, which was proven in JLT1 when he collected 29 disposals.

Both speedy, agile athletes, this duel could play big role in deciding the outcome of this match.

It’s won and lost in…

...the midfield.

Last weekend the North and Brisbane midfields put in two very different performances.

North’s on-ball brigade failed to play to the lofty standards it has set over recent years, with Cunnington, Higgins and Dumont, all starting in the middle, collecting 26, 26 and 22 disposals respectively and kicking just the one goal between them.

Dom Tyson was the next best with 22 disposals, while Aaron Hall (19 disposals) and Luke Davies-Uniacke (15 disposals) also spent time at the coalface.

Brisbane’s midfield on the other hand, fired on all cylinders, led by recruit Lachie Neale who record 29 disposals.

Other starting on-ballers, Jarryd Lyons and Jarrod Berry were also ball winners, collecting 26 and 25 disposals respectively.

Given that both sides have talented ruckmen in Todd Goldstein and Stefan Martin, first use from the big men will be at a premium, and something both midfields will want to capitalise on when given the chance.

Keep an eye on…

...Jared Polec and Rhys Mathieson.

Despite the result, Polec’s North Melbourne career got off to a near-perfect start in Round 1, collecting 27 disposals and taking seven marks.

As expected, Polec’s kicking added another dimension for Northin transition, using his left boot to take the game on and finding teammates in dangerous positions.

This weekend he returns to the Gabba, a ground he is quite familiar with, given he played the first three years of his career at the Lions.

With only three games’ experience in North’s system, Polec may still be finding his feet somewhat, however the more he plays alongside his new teammates, the more comfortable and more dangerous he’ll become.

Nicknamed ‘Beast mode’, Rhys Mathieson is one of the many young Lions starting to make a real impact in the league and is benefiting from exposure to the top level at a young age.

At just 22-years-old, Mathieson has played 38 games and got his 2019 off to a flying start last Saturday night, collecting 25 disposals and kicking one goal.

A hard-nosed midfielder, Mathieson can also push forward and hit the scoreboard, and with his unrelenting will and strength, is often a tough task for any opponent.