TonyK
CibbuanoRound eleven preview: North Melbourne v St Kilda
June 5th 2009 13:33
VENUE and TIME: Etihad Stadium, Saturday 6 June, 2.10pm (AEST)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 143, North Melbourne 70, St Kilda 71, Draws 2
LAST TIME: St Kilda 12.12 (84) def North Melbourne 9.15 (69), Round 14 2008 at Carrara
RECENT HISTORY: St Kilda has won three of its past four against North Melbourne with two of those wins coming at Etihad Stadium.
MEDICAL ROOM: North welcome back defenders Daniel Pratt and Nathan Grima, midfielder Sam Power and small forward Matt Campbell from injury but skipper Brent Harvey (dislocated elbow), Jesse Smith (hamstring) and Ed Lower (knee) are still unavailable. For the Saints, Sam Gilbert will miss with an ankle injury sustained in the win over Melbourne while Stephen Milne (knee) will be out for at least another week.
FORM: The Kangaroos are yet to string together consecutive wins this season and finds themselves in 12th place on the AFL ladder with just four wins from their first ten matches. St Kilda maintained its unbeaten start to the season with a solid win over Melbourne last Saturday night. The Saints were challenged early before booting four unanswered goals in the second half to record a 37-point victory.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Zac Dawson vs. David Hale
Hale has been very inconsistent so far this season - he backed up his five goal performance against Fremantle with just six possessions and two majors against the Lions.
North will need him to have a major impact if they are going to end St Kilda’s unbeaten start to the season.
Dawson has been very impressive in defence in 2009, taking on some of the competition’s biggest forwards and more than holding his own.
The former Hawk will undoubtedly be given first crack at Hale in what shapes as being a crucial match-up.
Former Kangaroos skipper Adam Simpson admitted during the week that his side was guilty of trying to find the perfect kick in the loss to the Lions rather than just getting the football inside 50.
If Hale is going to have any hope of winning his duel with Dawson he will need his teammates to be long and direct with their use of the football otherwise the Saints will be able to push numbers back and continually rebound it out of defensive 50.
Brady Rawlings vs. Nick Dal Santo
Dal Santo continued his superb start to the season with 31 possessions and five inside 50’s against the Demons.
The classy 25-year-old is damaging with his ability to set up scoring opportunities for his teammates with his clean use of the football.
The Roos will need to keep him quiet if they are going to have any hope of containing St Kilda’s multi-pronged attack.
Rawlings is North’s best stopper in the midfield and will have the unenviable task of tagging the Saints star.
The Kangaroos will need Rawlings to deny Dal Santo any time or space in which to dispose of the football cleanly otherwise he will continually deliver the football lace out to Nick Riewoldt, Justin Koschitzke and co.
Clinton Jones vs. Daniel Wells
The last time these two sides met in round 14 last year Wells was among his side’s best with 25 disposals, one goal and four inside 50’s.
Wells is one of the few North player’s that is capable of breaking down the St Kilda zone with his run and carry, so the Saints will be keen to quell his influence in the middle.
Jones has claimed the scalps of Travis Johnstone and Aaron Davey in the past fortnight and will be given the task of tagging Wells on Saturday afternoon.
Not only does Jones suffocate his opponents with his fierce tackling but he also has the ability to hurt them going the other way.
Josh Gibson vs. Nick Riewoldt
Riewoldt was his side’s most productive forward in the win over the Demons, booting four goals to take his season tally to 32 majors.
The Saints skipper is currently in All-Australian form and will need to be contained if the Kangaroos are going to have any hope of causing one of, if not the biggest upset of the season.
Gibson kept Brisbane skipper Jonathan Brown to just two goals last weekend and looms as the obvious candidate to match-up on Riewoldt.
The underrated North defender will need his teammates to suffocate the Saints midfield with their pressure skills otherwise Riewoldt will boot yet another bag as he is virtually unstoppable on the lead.
VERDICT: St Kilda will eventually suffer a loss at some stage this season but it is extremely unlikely that it will come at the hands of an incredibly inconsistent North Melbourne outfit. The Kangaroos will try hard all day as they always do but the Saints simply have too many in-form players for Dean Laidley’s men to contain and should cruise to their 11th straight win. Saints by 44 points.
NORTH MELBOURNE v ST KILDA
NORTH MELBOURNE
B: Nathan Grima, Scott Thompson, Scott McMahon
HB: Gavin Urquhart, Josh Gibson, Daniel Pratt
C: Ben Ross, Jack Ziebell, Sam Wright
HF: Daniel Wells, Drew Petrie, Lindsay Thomas
F: Ben Warren, David Hale, Matt Campbell
Foll: Hamish McIntosh, Adam Simpson, Leigh Harding
I/C: Brady Rawlings, Sam Power, Andrew Swallow, Michael Firrito
Emg: Daniel Harris, Corey Jones, Todd Goldstein
In: Power, Pratt, Campbell, Grima
Out: Levi Greenwood, Todd Goldstein, Daniel Harris, Aaron Edwards
ST KILDA
B: Jason Blake, Max Hudghton, Zac Dawson
HB: Steven Baker, Sam Fisher, Brendon Goddard
C: Farren Ray, Luke Ball, Nick Dal Santo
HF: Jason Gram, Nick Riewoldt, Adam Schneider
F: Lenny Hayes, Justin Koschitzke, Raphael Clarke
Foll: Steven King, Clint Jones, Leigh Montagna
I/C: Jarryn Geary, James Gwilt, Ben McEvoy, Andrew McQualter
Emg: Matt Maguire, David Armitage, Luke Miles
In: Hudghton, McEvoy
Out: Michael Gardiner (susp), Sam Gilbert (ankle)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 143, North Melbourne 70, St Kilda 71, Draws 2
LAST TIME: St Kilda 12.12 (84) def North Melbourne 9.15 (69), Round 14 2008 at Carrara
RECENT HISTORY: St Kilda has won three of its past four against North Melbourne with two of those wins coming at Etihad Stadium.
MEDICAL ROOM: North welcome back defenders Daniel Pratt and Nathan Grima, midfielder Sam Power and small forward Matt Campbell from injury but skipper Brent Harvey (dislocated elbow), Jesse Smith (hamstring) and Ed Lower (knee) are still unavailable. For the Saints, Sam Gilbert will miss with an ankle injury sustained in the win over Melbourne while Stephen Milne (knee) will be out for at least another week.
FORM: The Kangaroos are yet to string together consecutive wins this season and finds themselves in 12th place on the AFL ladder with just four wins from their first ten matches. St Kilda maintained its unbeaten start to the season with a solid win over Melbourne last Saturday night. The Saints were challenged early before booting four unanswered goals in the second half to record a 37-point victory.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Zac Dawson vs. David Hale
Hale has been very inconsistent so far this season - he backed up his five goal performance against Fremantle with just six possessions and two majors against the Lions.
North will need him to have a major impact if they are going to end St Kilda’s unbeaten start to the season.
Dawson has been very impressive in defence in 2009, taking on some of the competition’s biggest forwards and more than holding his own.
The former Hawk will undoubtedly be given first crack at Hale in what shapes as being a crucial match-up.
Former Kangaroos skipper Adam Simpson admitted during the week that his side was guilty of trying to find the perfect kick in the loss to the Lions rather than just getting the football inside 50.
If Hale is going to have any hope of winning his duel with Dawson he will need his teammates to be long and direct with their use of the football otherwise the Saints will be able to push numbers back and continually rebound it out of defensive 50.
Brady Rawlings vs. Nick Dal Santo
Dal Santo continued his superb start to the season with 31 possessions and five inside 50’s against the Demons.
The classy 25-year-old is damaging with his ability to set up scoring opportunities for his teammates with his clean use of the football.
The Roos will need to keep him quiet if they are going to have any hope of containing St Kilda’s multi-pronged attack.
Rawlings is North’s best stopper in the midfield and will have the unenviable task of tagging the Saints star.
The Kangaroos will need Rawlings to deny Dal Santo any time or space in which to dispose of the football cleanly otherwise he will continually deliver the football lace out to Nick Riewoldt, Justin Koschitzke and co.
Clinton Jones vs. Daniel Wells
The last time these two sides met in round 14 last year Wells was among his side’s best with 25 disposals, one goal and four inside 50’s.
Wells is one of the few North player’s that is capable of breaking down the St Kilda zone with his run and carry, so the Saints will be keen to quell his influence in the middle.
Jones has claimed the scalps of Travis Johnstone and Aaron Davey in the past fortnight and will be given the task of tagging Wells on Saturday afternoon.
Not only does Jones suffocate his opponents with his fierce tackling but he also has the ability to hurt them going the other way.
Josh Gibson vs. Nick Riewoldt
Riewoldt was his side’s most productive forward in the win over the Demons, booting four goals to take his season tally to 32 majors.
The Saints skipper is currently in All-Australian form and will need to be contained if the Kangaroos are going to have any hope of causing one of, if not the biggest upset of the season.
Gibson kept Brisbane skipper Jonathan Brown to just two goals last weekend and looms as the obvious candidate to match-up on Riewoldt.
The underrated North defender will need his teammates to suffocate the Saints midfield with their pressure skills otherwise Riewoldt will boot yet another bag as he is virtually unstoppable on the lead.
VERDICT: St Kilda will eventually suffer a loss at some stage this season but it is extremely unlikely that it will come at the hands of an incredibly inconsistent North Melbourne outfit. The Kangaroos will try hard all day as they always do but the Saints simply have too many in-form players for Dean Laidley’s men to contain and should cruise to their 11th straight win. Saints by 44 points.
NORTH MELBOURNE v ST KILDA
NORTH MELBOURNE
B: Nathan Grima, Scott Thompson, Scott McMahon
HB: Gavin Urquhart, Josh Gibson, Daniel Pratt
C: Ben Ross, Jack Ziebell, Sam Wright
HF: Daniel Wells, Drew Petrie, Lindsay Thomas
F: Ben Warren, David Hale, Matt Campbell
Foll: Hamish McIntosh, Adam Simpson, Leigh Harding
I/C: Brady Rawlings, Sam Power, Andrew Swallow, Michael Firrito
Emg: Daniel Harris, Corey Jones, Todd Goldstein
In: Power, Pratt, Campbell, Grima
Out: Levi Greenwood, Todd Goldstein, Daniel Harris, Aaron Edwards
ST KILDA
B: Jason Blake, Max Hudghton, Zac Dawson
HB: Steven Baker, Sam Fisher, Brendon Goddard
C: Farren Ray, Luke Ball, Nick Dal Santo
HF: Jason Gram, Nick Riewoldt, Adam Schneider
F: Lenny Hayes, Justin Koschitzke, Raphael Clarke
Foll: Steven King, Clint Jones, Leigh Montagna
I/C: Jarryn Geary, James Gwilt, Ben McEvoy, Andrew McQualter
Emg: Matt Maguire, David Armitage, Luke Miles
In: Hudghton, McEvoy
Out: Michael Gardiner (susp), Sam Gilbert (ankle)
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