North Melbourne hosts St Kilda at Marvel Stadium on Sunday, with both teams looking to get their 2020 seasons off to a winning start.
The sides will be playing Round 1 games under relatively new leadership, with Rhyce Shaw and Brett Ratten appointed to their respective positions in late 2019.
The Roos have had the better of the Saints in recent years, winning the last three games by an average of 38 points.
But this appears to be a vastly different St Kilda, which was one of the most active teams in the 2019 trade window, acquiring the likes of Bradley Hill, Dougal Howard, Paddy Ryder and Zak Jones.
Last time we met
Round 16, 2019
North Melbourne 17.10.112 def St Kilda 11.7.73
North’s young stars stood up against the Saints in Hobart.
Nick Larkey and Cam Zurhaar kicked 5 goals apiece, while Jy Simpkin notched up a career-high 36 disposals.
The teams
North Melbourne
B: Macmillan, Tarrant, McDonald
HB: Pittard, Walker, Atley
C: Dumont, Cunnington, Polec
HF: Thomas, Larkey, Higgins
F: Ziebell, Brown, Zurhaar
FOLL: Goldstein, Anderson, Simpkin
I/C: Daw, Hall, Taylor, Ahern
EMG: Bonar, Murphy, Garner
St Kilda
B: Geary, Wilkie, Howard
HB: Long, Clark, Roberton
C: Billings, Jones, Hill
HF: Lonie, King, Hannebery
F: Butler, Ryder, Membrey
FOLL: Marshall, Steele, Gresham
I/C: Kent, Ross, Dunstan, Paton
EMG: Sinclair, Coffield, Marsh
New faces
North Melbourne
Josh Walker will make his debut for the Roos, after joining as a delisted free agent in 2019.
St Kilda
The Saints are set to unveil six new faces, five of whom boast AFL experience.
Hill, Howard, Ryder, Jones, Dan Butler and Max King will all line up in the St Kilda jumper for the first time.
The match-up
Todd Goldstein v Rowan Marshall
The master and the apprentice? Goldstein (No.3 ruckman in the Player Ratings) returned to some of his best form last year, while Marshall (14th) announced himself as a seriously promising big man.
Key stat
North has won nine of its past 11 clashes with St Kilda, while star on-baller Ben Cunnington averages more possessions (24.3) against the Saints than any other opposition.
What AFL.com.au says
North Melbourne
The optimism about the Roos from last year has dissipated, in part because some stars had interrupted pre-seasons. However, almost all of them are ready to go, which makes Sunday's season-opener a chance to show the momentum can roll on.
St Kilda
Brett Ratten has a way of winning people over, and many are tipping a finals assault for his Saints. Pre-season hype counts for little once the real stuff starts, so they'll be looking to take an early scalp.
