Richmond v North Melbourne
Wednesday, March 7, 7.05pm AEDT
Ikon Park
Storyline
North will play in its second and final JLT Community Series match this Wednesday against reigning premiers Richmond at Ikon Park.
With Round 1 fast-approaching, it is one of the final opportunities for players to make their case for selection in the season-opener against Gold Coast.
North will welcome back four fan favourites from injuries in Mason Wood, Taylor Garner, Braydon Preuss and Jy Simpkin, while rookie Tom Murphy is in line to make his debut in the royal blue and white.
New face
20-year-old Tom Murphy could feature for the first time since being drafted with North’s first pick in last year’s Rookie Draft.
Murphy, a powerful half-backer, has adapted to the AFL system seamlessly so far, and has put on plenty of size in the past three months.
The former Dandenong Stingrays player’s long, penetrating kick is by-far his biggest strength, and he’s capable of opening up the game.
Despite spending much of the summer with the backline, don’t be surprised to see Murphy feature in the midfield or forward line, where he has played in the past.
Ruck duo combine
We’ll be one step closer to answering one of toughest questions of summer, ‘Can Todd Goldstein and Braydon Preuss play in the same side?’.
After sitting out JLT 1, Preuss will have his first run since AFLX last month, and will be given the chance to make his case for Round 1.
He will be partnered with Goldstein, who went up against Melbourne’s Max Gawn in the first pre-season match, and is set to have another tough contest on his hands with Richmond’s Toby Nankervis.
If there isn’t room for both specialist ruckmen, the competition for that lone ruck role really ramps up.
A changing front half
North’s forward-line is set to look a whole lot different in JLT 2.
Mason Wood (thumb), Taylor Garner (knee) and Jy Simpkin (ankle) are all likely to return from their respective injuries, and as a result, will change North’s look inside forward 50.
The returning trio will reunite with big-men Ben Brown and Jarrad Waite who played in the first JLT match, and will relish the opportunity to welcome back the youngsters.
Richmond’s squad
The Tigers have named a strong squad to play in their final JLT Community Series match, with premiership star Nathan Broad returning to the squad.
There are three players from 2017's Grand Final success story missing, with Bachar Houli (calf soreness), Daniel Rioli (broken foot) and Dion Prestia (hamstring) all out through injury.
The likes of Dustin Martin, Alex Rance, Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt are all named in the 30-man squad.
The burning questions
Who will Ben Jacobs follow?
Ben Jacobs will play Richmond for the first time since North’s 2015 Elimination Final win, when he kept Trent Cotchin to just nine touches.
After playing a run-with role in JLT 1, he looks set to play a similar role again this year, however, the number 5 will also have Brownlow medallist Dustin Martin to compete with.
It will be interesting to see which star midfielder he follows, but either way, the North tagger will be given a good test ahead of the home-and-away season.
Can North head into Round 1 with a win?
Despite no premiership points up for grabs, both teams will be desperate for a win to boost confidence before Round 1. After falling short in the opening JLT match, this is North’s last chance to secure a win, and gaining the edge over the reigning premiers will no doubt give the group some added confidence.
Can North match Richmond’s immense pressure?
Richmond won a premiership off-the-back of the overwhelming pressure applied by their smaller stars. The likes of Castagna, Butler and Rioli made moving the ball difficult for their opponents, and after JLT 1, it seems a similar game style is being employed again this year. It will be interesting to see if the likes of Simpkin, Turner and Hrovat can play a similar role and match Richmond’s press.
Squads
North Melbourne
B: M.Williams, R.Tarrant, R.Clarke
HB: J.Macmillan, S.Thompson, S.Atley
C: B.Hartung, L.Davies-Uniacke, B.Jacobs
HF: M.Wood, J.Waite, J.Ziebell
F: T.Garner, B.Brown, K.Turner
Foll: T.Goldstein, S.Higgins, B.Cunnington
I/C: T.Dumont, M.Hibberd, N.Hrovat, T.Murphy, B.Preuss, J.Simpkin, E.Vickers-Willis, C.Zurhaar
Richmond
B: Rance, Astbury, Grimes
HB: Vlastuin, Broad, B. Ellis
C: Grigg, Edwards, Cotchin
HF: Castagna, Graham, C. Ellis
F: Riewoldt, Caddy, Butler
Foll: Nankervis, Lambert, Martin
I/C: Conca, Bolton, Townsend, McIntosh, Short, Soldo, Moore, Lloyd
