North Melbourne v Fremantle
Saturday, April 24 - 8.15pm AEST
Optus Stadium
North Melbourne is travelling west as it prepares to take on Fremantle at Optus Stadium on Saturday night.
Despite much improved performances over the last two weeks against Adelaide and Geelong respectively, North is still looking for its first win of the season.
Falling to a star-studded Cats side in Round 5, North gave the four-quarter performance senior coach David Noble has been calling for, and the next step is now to get wins on the board.
Fremantle has won its last two games on the bounce, and will enter this game full of confidence after defeating a spirited Adelaide side by 12 points at the Adelaide Oval.
Last time we met
Round 17, 2020
The Dockers proved too strong last time these two sides met, running out as convincing 64-point winners.
Jy Simpkin impressed for North as he collected 6 clearances, while Cam Zurhaar kicked 2 goals.
The Freo forward-line overpowered the North defence, as Matt Taberner, Lachie Schulz and Michael Walters all kicked 3 goals, and Jesse Hogan finished with 4 majors of his own.
The matchup
Ben McKay v Matt Taberner
In the absence of Robbie Tarrant and Aidan Corr, Ben McKay has stepped up to the task of defending the opposition’s most dangerous key-forward, and acquitted himself superbly this season.
After winning the personal battles with Taylor Walker and Tom Hawkins in recent weeks, McKay’s new target will be Matt Taberner, as the Fremantle forward will be full of confidence after 4 goals against Adelaide last week.
Taberner is currently ranked fourth in contested marks in the AFL and is Fremantle’s leading goal kicker this season, booting 13 majors from 5 games.
With both players averaging over 96 per cent time on ground this season, the pair will be afforded the chance to impress in this arm wrestle of a key-position matchup.
The key players
Ben Cunnington and David Mundy
With quality midfielders like Nathan Fyfe and Andrew Brayshaw running through the Fremantle midfield, the experience and power of Ben Cunnington will be key for North’s hopes of winning the midfield battle.
Cunnington starred against a strong Geelong midfield and finished with 29 disposals, 7 clearances and a goal while providing on-field leadership for his young teammates.
If he can find first use of the football and dispose of it with his usual quality and class, he will be key in opening the contest up and allowing his teammates to find space in dangerous areas.
At the age of 35, most AFL footballers are retired or slowing down, but David Mundy seems to be getting better.
Finishing with 28 disposals, 8 tackles and 6 clearances against Adelaide, Mundy also inspired his team with the go-ahead goal midway through the fourth quarter.
The midfielder is in the midst of some of the best football of his career, and North will need to limit the impact of the inspirational veteran if success is to be found this weekend.
The stat
Statistically, Jack Ziebell had one of the best games of his career in Round 5 against Geelong.
The defender collected 38-disposals at almost 79 per cent efficiency, and finished with a current season record, 946 metres gained.
Ziebell is looking more at home in his new defensive role with each passing week, and North will stand a much greater chance of winning if the skipper plays anything like he did against the Cats.
