North Melbourne will be looking to continue its perfect start to the 2020 season on Saturday, when it takes on the Sydney Swans at Marvel Stadium.
Having beaten their cross-town rivals, the GWS Giants last weekend, the Roos will be full of confidence.
The Swans enter the encounter on the back of a narrow defeat to Essendon, going down to the Bombers by six points last Sunday.
The clash is sure to have some added spice with ex-Swan player and assistant coach Rhyce Shaw in charge of the Roos, while ex-North champion John Longmire will lead the Swans.
Shaun Atley will play his 200th game for the club.
Last time we met
Round 9, 2019
Sydney 11.11.77 def North Melbourne 10.12.72
The Roos went down to the Swans by five points in a hard-fought contest in Hobart.
Trailing by 27 at the last change, North fought back to be in with a kick, but it ultimately left its charge too late.
Skipper Jack Ziebell was excellent for the Roos, collecting 35 disposals, 10 marks and 8 tackles.
Tom Papley starred for the Swans, kicking four goals.
The teams
North Melbourne
B: [37] Kyron Hayden, [25] Robbie Tarrant, [17] Jasper Pittard
HB: [11] Luke McDonald, [19] Josh Walker, [18] Shaun Atley
C: [26] Tarryn Thomas, [12] Jy Simpkin, [13] Jared Polec
HF: [4] Shaun Higgins, [50] Ben Brown, [31] Curtis Taylor
F: [7] Jack Ziebell, [44] Cameron Zurhaar, [32] Mason Wood
R: [22] Todd Goldstein, [10] Ben Cunnington, [3] Jed Anderson
I: [14] Trent Dumont, [15] Paul Ahern, [34] Jamie Macmillan, [43] Aaron Hall
Sydney
B: [44] Jake Lloyd, [24] Dane Rampe, [36] Aliir Aliir
HB: [14] Callum Mills, [42] Robbie Fox, [7] Harry Cunningham
C: [28] Lewis Taylor, [26] Luke Parker, [5] Isaac Heeney
HF: [13] Oliver Florent, [30] Tom McCartin, [34] Jordan Dawson
F: [15] Sam Gray, [8] James Rowbottom, [9] Will Hayward
R: [18] Callum Sinclair, [12] Josh P. Kennedy, [11] Tom Papley
I: [38] Colin O'Riordan, [27] Justin McInerney, [22] Nick Blakey, [29] George Hewett
New faces
North Melbourne
Sydney
The match-up
Luke McDonald v Tom Papley
After a brilliant performance against Toby Greene on Sunday, the task to stop Tom Papley will likely fall with Luke McDonald.
McDonald kept Greene goalless and to just 13 touches, but livewire Papley will pose another significant test.
Papley was influential in the last match between the two sides, kicking four goals.
The small forward led the Swans goal-kickers in 2019 with 37 majors.
The stat
Sydney has been North Melbourne’s bogey team over the last decade and a half, with North winning just four of the last 20 clashes, with the last home win for the Roos coming in 2007.
Key men
Ben Cunnington and Luke Parker
The two inside midfielders have been in impressive form so far this season, and will be critical to their sides chances of victory.
Cunnington was the match-winner in round one, kicking 2 goals and collecting 26 disposals, but was kept quiet by his standards against the Giants, having to deal with the tag of Matt de Boer.
Parker has been among Sydney’s best in the opening rounds, averaging 27.5 disposals so far.
