For the first time in a month, North Melbourne will play at Etihad Stadium. It will also be the first time the Kangaroos have played a home game at the venue since Round 5, and their opponent will be a Sydney side riding high on confidence with a five-game win streak.
Interestingly, the two sides haven’t met in Melbourne since 2011, with the last four games rotated between the SCG, ANZ Stadium and Blundstone Arena.
Teams
North Melbourne
B: Lachlan Hansen, Scott Thompson, Michael Firrito
HB: Sam Wright, Robbie Tarrant, Jamie Macmillan
C: Brent Harvey, Andrew Swallow, Sam Gibson
HF: Shaun Higgins, Jarrad Waite, Ryan Bastinac
F: Lindsay Thomas, Drew Petrie, Ben Brown
Fol: Todd Goldstein, Ben Cunnington, Jack Ziebell
Int: Ben Jacobs, Trent Dumont, Robbie Nahas, Scott McMahon
Emer: Leigh Adams, Luke McDonald, Majak Daw
Unchanged
Sydney
B: Jeremy Laidler, Ted Richards, Nick Smith
HB: Rhyce Shaw, Heath Grundy, Dane Rampe
C: Luke Parker, Josh Kennedy, Kieren Jack
HF: Lewis Jetta, Lance Franklin, Jarrad McVeigh
F: Sam Reid, Kurt Tippett, Adam Goodes
Fol: Mike Pyke, Dan Hannebery, Tom Mitchell
Int: Harry Cunningham, Jake Lloyd, Dan Robinson, Gary Rohan
Emer: Jack Hiscox, Toby Nankervis, Dean Towers
Unchanged
Pace and space
Last year’s preliminary final was characterised by quick ball movement from Sydney finding an open forward 50, where the likes of Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett had plenty of room to work.
The duo kicked nine goals between them and were key components in the Swans’ victory; however it will be a different looking North backline which confronts them on Saturday night.
Lachlan Hansen, Robbie Tarrant and Jamie Macmillan were all injured for the preliminary final and will be playing this week, while Scott McMahon came in for his first game of 2015 against the Eagles and neutralised Mark LeCras’ normal influence.
The quartet, added to Scott Thompson and Michael Firrito, has more height and should be better placed to cut off the aerial threat. Franklin and Tippett also took 20 marks between them in the last match.
The small and medium sized defenders will also have the likes of Adam Goodes and the resting midfielders all dangerous threats close to goal.
Changing conditions
The venue of a game can dramatically change even the best-laid plans, as North’s clash with West Coast showed. The howling wind completely threw any notion of ‘regular’ football out the window.
Over the last four meetings between North Melbourne and Sydney, there has been rain (SCG), wind (Blundstone Arena), and a slower surface (ANZ Stadium). There hasn’t been the prospect of perfect conditions underneath the roof at Etihad Stadium, which is what will be on the menu this Saturday.
It raises the question of how both sides will approach their structures and match ups. What was a winning move in the wet may be exposed in the dry - disposal tactics that suited the wind could be ineffective under a roof.
The Swans have won seven of their last eight matches at Etihad Stadium, averaging more than 100 points per game. Considering North has also regularly posted high scores at home, fans could be set for a high-scoring encounter – one which probably wouldn’t have been likely at the variety of venues in previous years.
The importance of accuracy
In recent matches against Sydney, North has struggled to hit the scoreboard with accuracy. To find the last match where it kicked more goals than points you have to go all the way back to 2009.
It explains a lot of why the Kangaroos have struggled against what has often been an elite Sydney outfit in the period.
Flash forward to 2015, and through the first six rounds North was an extremely good set shot team. It ranked second in the competition, with bursts against Brisbane and Richmond in particular characterised by its straight shooting in front of goal.
Over the next three weeks it struggled markedly and it was no coincidence that the time period had two losses and a close win against Essendon, which on the balance of general play, should have been by a larger margin.
Last week’s victory against West Coast saw the Kangaroos return to the form of the first six rounds, converting its set shots at a similar rate, even allowing for the unique conditions. To beat the Swans there will have to be a repeat performance in front of goals.
