In Round 1 last year, the mature-age recruit made headlines at Patersons Stadium after debuting for North in the ruck against West Coast’s Dean Cox. The 25-year old finished the game with 20 disposals, five marks and 14 hit-outs confirming he was more than able to play against the best.
Whether it be in defence or attack, Pedersen was a solid contributor for North in 2011, playing 14 games with an average of 13.2 possessions and five marks per game. He kicked 18 goals for the year but until now, hasn’t been able to break back into the side.
Pedersen has been confirmed as a replacement for Levi Greenwood in the team. The latter had a quarter against the Suns when he was activated as a substitute for Daniel Wells.
In a somewhat surprising move, Brad Scott and the match committee have resisted the urge to recall Todd Goldstein, instead naming the ruckman as an emergency alongside Cruize Garlett and Brad McKenzie.
It means Hamish McIntosh will have a busy day at the office against Cox and Nic Naitanui in the ruck but will likely receive adequate relief from Pedersen and also Drew Petrie throughout the afternoon.
Last time the Roos played the Eagles, Brady Rawlings topped the team’s possession count with 32. North will need the likes of Liam Anthony, Brent Harvey and Wells to fire in order to cover his loss. Andrew Swallow was another standout in that match with 26 touches, eight marks, six tackles and six inside 50s. The captain will be looking to lead the way once again in his home state.
Rain is still likely and the side will be out to adapt to the wet conditions a lot quicker than it did in Sydney in Round 4.
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| Pedersen at training on Friday |
