Western Bulldogs v North Melbourne
Sunday, July 4 - 4:40pm
Marvel Stadium
For the second time in two weeks, North Melbourne will be taking on a side it’s already faced in the 2021 season, with this clash with the Western Bulldogs potentially acting as a great barometer for the Roos’ improvement over the year.
Having defeated Gold Coast by nine points last weekend, North will come into this week’s clash bullish and full of confidence after an exceptional performance.
The margin indicates a tight game, but inaccurate kicking by the home side kept the Suns in the contest, with North playing irresistible football at times, which Gold Coast had no answer for.
Nick Larkey continued his strong form with 3 goals, while Todd Goldstein’s 44 hitouts has put him within touching distance of the all-time AFL record, with Aaron Sandilands just 36 hitouts in front.
The link between Ben Cunnington and Jy Simpkin in midfield continues to go from strength-to-strength, with the pair combining for 58 disposals, 29 contested possessions and 13 clearances.
The Bulldogs come into the clash on the back of a comprehensive victory against West Coast in Perth, having defeated the Eagles by 55 points.
Marcus Bontempelli did much of the damage for the Bulldogs with 29 disposals and 3 goals, while Bailey Smith finished with 31 touches and 2 goals.
Last time we met:
Round 3, 2021
A day to forget for North fans, as the Bulldogs recorded a 128-point victory on Good Friday - the largest in club history.
Jack Ziebell tried to rally the troops with a brilliant personal performance, registering 33 disposals and 11 marks in what was just his third game in defence, while Aaron Hall showed his class with 23 touches and a goal.
Josh Bruce finished with 10 goals for the day for the Bulldogs.
The matchup:
Ben McKay v Josh Bruce
North Melbourne’s defensive unit will be seeking redemption against this Bulldogs side, with the 167 points conceded last time they met the most of any team this season.
Most North defenders had a crack at slowing Josh Bruce down over the course of the game, but with the Bulldogs targeting their key man with every forward entry, it would have been a difficult prospect for even the most settled and experienced defence.
Since that clash though, North’s back line has been bolstered by key returns in the form of Robbie Tarrant and Luke McDonald, and the likes of Jack Ziebell and Aaron Hall have become settled in their new defensive roles.
On the back of a new contract and consistent praise throughout the AFL all season long, McKay should go into this clash with a point to prove and a chip on his shoulder.
Ranking fourth in the AFL for one percenters per game, McKay’s effort has never been questioned, and with every passing week his execution of his role becomes more and more impressive.
Since his 10-goal performance in Round 3, Bruce has put together arguably a career best season, with his 37 goals currently good enough for third in the Coleman Medal race.
The key men:
Ben Cunnington and Marcus Bontempelli
Sometimes it can be argued that the best player in a side is not the key man for any given game, whether that be because of certain matchups, game conditions, big inclusions or harmful exclusions.
This is not one of those times.
After missing the bulk of 2020 with a back injury, critics were murmuring about how effective Cunnington would actually be this season, but those questions have been firmly answered.
His 7.67 clearances per game is enough to rank third in the AFL, while he ranks second with 16.25 contested possessions a game. The man is an inside midfield machine.
Hitting the scoreboard with 6 goals this season while averaging over 5 tackles a game, Cunnington has been getting the job done in all parts of the ground and is most certainly a man in form.
The odds-on Brownlow favourite, Marcus Bontempelli has been putting together a career-best season as skipper for the Bulldogs.
When the game is on the line, it’s often Bontempelli who steps up for the Bulldogs, and his goal of the year nomination against West Coast last week offers a reminder he’s capable of the spectacular.
The former number four draft pick is a force going forward having kicked 21 goals for the season so far and ranking first in the AFL for score involvements per game.
There are a number of North midfielders or defenders that could look to curtail his influence on the contest, and if this Bulldog gets off the leash it could be curtains for North.
The stat:
Having overtaken Adam Simpson as North’s all-time clearance leader, Cunnington’s clearance numbers compared to the rest of the AFL are just as astounding.
Cunnington is currently ranked 13th in the AFL’s all-time clearance list, but with 224 games under his belt, he’s played the fewest games out of anybody in the top 17.
Travis Boak is 12th on the list with 1289 clearances, five more than Cunnington - however he’s played 72 more games than North’s number 10.
In terms of average clearances per game, Cunnington ranks eighth in AFL history (played a minimum 50 games) with 5.73 per game, sandwiched between Lachie Neale and Josh Francou.
He’s is one of just four players to rank in the top 15 for both total career clearances and average clearances per game, indicating not only his quality, but his longevity as one of the AFL’s premier players.
All the statistics point to Cunnington being a generational inside midfield talent.
It’s time to give him the respect he deserves.
