North Melbourne v Williamstown
Saturday, August 4
Avalon Airport Oval
First bounce: 2.00pm (AEST)
Storyline
North Melbourne will look to keep its hopes of a finals berth alive with a win over Williamstown at Avalon Airport Oval on Saturday afternoon.
As the gap between the seventh-placed Port Melbourne and the following pack begins to widen, the Roos can move closer to the eight with just a win and percentage standing between North, Footscray and Essendon from last year’s premiers.
Having secured back-to-back wins in recent weeks, the sixth-placed Williamstown will be full of confidence as it begins to mount pressure on the top three.
Morgan and Hayden return
North will receive boosts on both ends of the ground with Alex Morgan and Kyron Hayden returning to the fold.
The pair has been named by David Loader in familiar flanking roles, with Morgan slotting inside North’s defensive six, as Mitch Hibberd and Ben McKay lend support.
Morgan will be eager to impress in his return to the VFL after making his senior debut against Sydney last month, gathering 18 disposals and taking nine marks in a sold first-up display.
Hayden will link up with the in-form Matt Northe and explosive forward Gordon Narrier, with the former serving as North’s lone multiple goal-kicker against the Pies last weekend.
The powerfully-built 19-year-old has shown glimpses of his potential this season, working hard around stoppages and creating space for his surrounding forwards with disposal by both hand and foot.
Forward threats
Williamstown’s thrilling come-from-behind win over Footscray a fortnight ago highlighted just how dangerous the Seagulls are when allowed to apply forward pressure.
Seven goals in a remarkable 16-minute sequence allowed Williamstown to race ahead after facing a 20-point buffer at the final change.
Ben Cavarra and Lachlan Schultz worked in tandem, booting five goals between them against the Bulldogs as the former inches towards the highest goal-scorers in the competition.
Meanwhile, key tall Nick Larkey will be determined to serve a timely reminder as to why he’s continued to be discussed as an another option at AFL level, with a potential bag against the sixth-placed Williamstown.
Restricted to just two goals in as many weeks, Larkey will like his chances in favourable conditions at Avalon Airport Oval, where he’s been a stand-out for a majority of the season proper.
Despite his barren run, the 20-year-old is just two goals shy from topping the VFL goal-scoring charts.
Preuss’ new challenge
Braydon Preuss has dominated the ruck exchanges this season, developing at an alarming rate while he continues to put forward a strong case for senior selection.
Many sides have attempted to stifle Preuss’ effectiveness by alternating their talls against the bulldozing big man, often with limited success, with only a handful of ruckmen being able to offer resistance so far.
Among those expected to challenge Preuss is Williamstown’s ruck authority, Nick Meese. However, with its leading tall not named to face the Roos due to suspension, Williamstown have handed the baton to Jordan Jones.
The former AFL-listed Eagle will be tasked with the unfavourable duty of lining up against Preuss, who topped the competition for hit-outs last weekend with an imposing 62 against Collingwood.
Williamstown team
B: Greiser, Charleston, Tippett
HB: Monk, Rodda, Tate
C: Marcon, Bewley, Schnerring
HF: George, Schultz, Wheeler
F: Cavarra, Masters, Dunell
R: Jones, Gibbons, Jolley
Int: Bese, Bramble, Buckwell, Ebinger, Kempster, Norton, Pickess, Pongracic
23P: Dawson
Burning questions
Who goes to Ben Cavarra?
Having booted 25 goals for the Seagulls this season, it’s clear that the crafty forward is Williamstown’s leading threat.
Louis Cunningham will likely challenge Cavarra after his impressive job on Josh Smith, limiting the AFL-listed forward to just 11 disposals and no goals last weekend.
Will North return to winning ways in Werribee?
Avalon Airport Oval has been a fortress for North this season, with the Roos dropping premiership points just twice at home.
A potential finals berth will hinge on a positive result against Williamstown in Werribee, where North is yet to lose in consecutive weeks.
Which AFL-listed Roos will shine?
The good form of North’s senior brigade has limited the opportunities for those on the cusp of selection.
As North’s AFL-listed prospects continue to shine in the VFL, including usual suspects Luke Davies-Uniacke, Ben McKay, Braydon Preuss and Tom Murphy amongst a plethora of others, another stand-out performance could be the turning point.
2018 White Ribbon Round
The Victorian footballing community will rally together this weekend in support of a new state-wide AFL Victoria White Ribbon Round.
'Don’t just sit on the sidelines' is the call to action for the round on August 4 and 5, reminding players, fans and coaches to stand up, speak out and act to stop violence against women.
Football clubs from 18 leagues from all levels of football across the state – from junior leagues to the Peter Jackson VFL, Swisse Wellness VFL Women’s and TAC Cup – will be supporting the round, which seeks to raise critical awareness and funds to prevent violence against women.
As part of the state-wide Round, Victorians are encouraged to show their support by taking part in an online social media campaign and taking the White Ribbon Oath to prevent men’s violence against women.
Fans are invited to attend Saturday’s VFL match against Williamstown at Avalon Airport Oval, with the first bounce at 2.00pm. Entry to home games is free for NMFC members.
