TonyK
CibbuanoRound nine preview: North Melbourne v Fremantle
May 22nd 2009 14:25
VENUE and TIME: Etihad Stadium, Saturday 23 May, 2.10pm (AEST)
HEAD TO HEAD: North Melbourne 11, Fremantle 5
LAST TIME: Fremantle 18.12 (120) def North Melbourne 9.13 (67), Round 12 2008 at Subiaco Oval
RECENT HISTORY: Fremantle has won two of its past three against North Melbourne but both of those wins were at Subiaco Oval. The Dockers have won just seven of their 20 matches at Etihad Stadium.
FORM: North Melbourne was thumped to the tune of 70 points by a rampant Geelong side at Skilled Stadium last Saturday. The Kangaroos occupy 13th place on the AFL ladder with a 3-5 win-loss record. Fremantle’s run of three straight wins came to an end when they went down to Hawthorn at Subiaco Oval in round eight. The Dockers trail the Roos on percentage only.
MEDICAL ROOM: The Kangaroos welcome back midfielders Daniel Wells, Brady Rawlings and Jack Ziebell from injury but will be without small forward Matt Campbell (hamstring) and defenders Daniel Pratt (knee) and Lachlan Hansen (hamstring) for at least another one to two weeks. North skipper Brent Harvey won’t return before round 16 because of his dislocated elbow. For the Dockers, Des Headland will play his first game of the season after being sidelined with a calf injury. Chris Mayne (stress fractures), Brock O'Brien (quad) and small forward Hayden Ballantyne (wrist) are one to two weeks away. Rhys Palmer (knee) and Ryan Crowley (foot) are out for the season while Andrew Browne remains unavailable due to personal reasons.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Antoni Grover vs. David Hale
Hale booted 37 goals last season including 21 in the last six games but he has struggled to replicate that form in 2009, managing just 11 majors in eight games.
If the Kangaroos are going to be any hope of recording much-needed win they will need Hale to step up and impose himself on the contest.
Expect Grover, who kept Hawthorn forward Jarryd Roughead to just one goal last weekend, to be given first crack at Hale.
In last weekend’s loss to the Cats the Kangaroos nearly had as many handballs as kicks - they finished the match with 163 kicks and 159 handballs.
If Hale is going to have any chance of having an impact on Saturday he will need his midfield to be long and direct with their use of the football.
Brady Rawlings vs. Paul Hasleby
Hasleby has been his side’s most consistent midfielder so far this season, averaging 24 disposals per game.
The 27-year-old is an integral part of the Fremantle midfield with his ability to win the football at close quarters and use it cleanly by hand to find his teammates in space.
Limiting his influence at the stoppages will be a key for North if they are going to secure the four premiership points.
Expect the Kangaroos best midfield stopper in Rawlings to be given the task of tagging Hasleby in what shapes as being a pivotal match-up in determining the outcome of this match.
Rawlings will need to apply relentless pressure all day otherwise Hasleby will get his side going with his clean use of the football.
Garrick Ibbotson vs. Adam Simpson
Simpson has led from the front in 2009 with 26 possessions per game.
Like Hasleby, Simpson does his best work in close - he leads the Kangaroos for clearances and is ranked third for first possessions.
The Dockers will be keen to quell his influence as North Melbourne’s forwards will struggle to receive enough supply to kick a winning score without him having an impact in the middle.
Ibbotson, who has been given the job of running with the opposition’s best midfielder since Crowley went down with a foot injury against West Coast in round six, looms as the obvious candidate to be used in a run with role on Simpson.
The Fremantle youngster will need to deny Simpson any time or space at the stoppages and also win his fair share of the football and try and hurt the former North Melbourne skipper going the other way.
Michael Firrito vs. Matthew Pavlich
The last time these two sides met in round 12 last year Pavlich booted eight goals to inspire his side to a 53-point win.
The Fremantle skipper has hit top form after a sluggish start to the season and will need to be contained if the Roos are going to record their fourth win of the season.
Firrito has spent some time in the middle so far in 2009 and has the tank to run with Pavlich and also the ability to match him in the air if he pushes forward.
Expect the 25-year-old to line-up on Pavlich in what will be yet another pivotal duel in determining the outcome of this match.
Firrito, who has averaged 16 possessions per game this season, will need to be proactive otherwise Pavlich will be able to dictate terms and dominate.
VERDICT: North Melbourne are at their best when their backs are to the wall while Fremantle has the uncanny ability to win games their not expected so this match could go either way. The Dockers have a poor record at Etihad Stadium but they should end a six-game losing streak at the venue with the brilliance of Pavlich set to be the difference in what shapes as being a hard-fought contest between two relatively evenly matched sides. Dockers by 14 points.
NORTH MELBOURNE v FREMANTLE
NORTH MELBOURNE
B: Michael Firrito, Scott Thompson, Josh Gibson
HB: Scott McMahon, Nathan Grima, Gavin Urquhart
C: Ben Ross, Jack Ziebell, Sam Wright
HF: Ben Warren, Drew Petrie, Leigh Harding
F: Lindsay Thomas, David Hale, Aaron Edwards
Foll: Hamish McIntosh, Brady Rawlings, Daniel Wells
I/C: Sam Power, Adam Simpson, Andrew Swallow, Todd Goldstein
Emg: Ed Lower, Daniel Harris, Matt Riggio
In: Wells, Ziebell, Rawlings
Out: Ed Lower, Daniel Harris, Matt Riggio
FREMANTLE
B: Roger Hayden, Chris Tarrant, Antoni Grover
HB: Nic Suban, Luke McPharlin, Steven Dodd
C: Stephen Hill, Paul Hasleby, Garrick Ibbotson
HF: Paul Duffield, Michael Johnson, Clayton Hinkley
F: Brett Peake, Matthew Pavlich, Dean Solomon
Foll: Aaron Sandilands, Byron Schammer, David Mundy
I/C: Ryan Murphy, Matt de Boer, Des Headland, Scott Thornton
Emg: Greg Broughton, Andrew Foster, Kepler Bradley
In: Headland
Out: Greg Broughton
HEAD TO HEAD: North Melbourne 11, Fremantle 5
LAST TIME: Fremantle 18.12 (120) def North Melbourne 9.13 (67), Round 12 2008 at Subiaco Oval
RECENT HISTORY: Fremantle has won two of its past three against North Melbourne but both of those wins were at Subiaco Oval. The Dockers have won just seven of their 20 matches at Etihad Stadium.
FORM: North Melbourne was thumped to the tune of 70 points by a rampant Geelong side at Skilled Stadium last Saturday. The Kangaroos occupy 13th place on the AFL ladder with a 3-5 win-loss record. Fremantle’s run of three straight wins came to an end when they went down to Hawthorn at Subiaco Oval in round eight. The Dockers trail the Roos on percentage only.
MEDICAL ROOM: The Kangaroos welcome back midfielders Daniel Wells, Brady Rawlings and Jack Ziebell from injury but will be without small forward Matt Campbell (hamstring) and defenders Daniel Pratt (knee) and Lachlan Hansen (hamstring) for at least another one to two weeks. North skipper Brent Harvey won’t return before round 16 because of his dislocated elbow. For the Dockers, Des Headland will play his first game of the season after being sidelined with a calf injury. Chris Mayne (stress fractures), Brock O'Brien (quad) and small forward Hayden Ballantyne (wrist) are one to two weeks away. Rhys Palmer (knee) and Ryan Crowley (foot) are out for the season while Andrew Browne remains unavailable due to personal reasons.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Antoni Grover vs. David Hale
Hale booted 37 goals last season including 21 in the last six games but he has struggled to replicate that form in 2009, managing just 11 majors in eight games.
If the Kangaroos are going to be any hope of recording much-needed win they will need Hale to step up and impose himself on the contest.
Expect Grover, who kept Hawthorn forward Jarryd Roughead to just one goal last weekend, to be given first crack at Hale.
In last weekend’s loss to the Cats the Kangaroos nearly had as many handballs as kicks - they finished the match with 163 kicks and 159 handballs.
If Hale is going to have any chance of having an impact on Saturday he will need his midfield to be long and direct with their use of the football.
Brady Rawlings vs. Paul Hasleby
Hasleby has been his side’s most consistent midfielder so far this season, averaging 24 disposals per game.
The 27-year-old is an integral part of the Fremantle midfield with his ability to win the football at close quarters and use it cleanly by hand to find his teammates in space.
Limiting his influence at the stoppages will be a key for North if they are going to secure the four premiership points.
Expect the Kangaroos best midfield stopper in Rawlings to be given the task of tagging Hasleby in what shapes as being a pivotal match-up in determining the outcome of this match.
Rawlings will need to apply relentless pressure all day otherwise Hasleby will get his side going with his clean use of the football.
Garrick Ibbotson vs. Adam Simpson
Simpson has led from the front in 2009 with 26 possessions per game.
Like Hasleby, Simpson does his best work in close - he leads the Kangaroos for clearances and is ranked third for first possessions.
The Dockers will be keen to quell his influence as North Melbourne’s forwards will struggle to receive enough supply to kick a winning score without him having an impact in the middle.
Ibbotson, who has been given the job of running with the opposition’s best midfielder since Crowley went down with a foot injury against West Coast in round six, looms as the obvious candidate to be used in a run with role on Simpson.
The Fremantle youngster will need to deny Simpson any time or space at the stoppages and also win his fair share of the football and try and hurt the former North Melbourne skipper going the other way.
Michael Firrito vs. Matthew Pavlich
The last time these two sides met in round 12 last year Pavlich booted eight goals to inspire his side to a 53-point win.
The Fremantle skipper has hit top form after a sluggish start to the season and will need to be contained if the Roos are going to record their fourth win of the season.
Firrito has spent some time in the middle so far in 2009 and has the tank to run with Pavlich and also the ability to match him in the air if he pushes forward.
Expect the 25-year-old to line-up on Pavlich in what will be yet another pivotal duel in determining the outcome of this match.
Firrito, who has averaged 16 possessions per game this season, will need to be proactive otherwise Pavlich will be able to dictate terms and dominate.
VERDICT: North Melbourne are at their best when their backs are to the wall while Fremantle has the uncanny ability to win games their not expected so this match could go either way. The Dockers have a poor record at Etihad Stadium but they should end a six-game losing streak at the venue with the brilliance of Pavlich set to be the difference in what shapes as being a hard-fought contest between two relatively evenly matched sides. Dockers by 14 points.
NORTH MELBOURNE v FREMANTLE
NORTH MELBOURNE
B: Michael Firrito, Scott Thompson, Josh Gibson
HB: Scott McMahon, Nathan Grima, Gavin Urquhart
C: Ben Ross, Jack Ziebell, Sam Wright
HF: Ben Warren, Drew Petrie, Leigh Harding
F: Lindsay Thomas, David Hale, Aaron Edwards
Foll: Hamish McIntosh, Brady Rawlings, Daniel Wells
I/C: Sam Power, Adam Simpson, Andrew Swallow, Todd Goldstein
Emg: Ed Lower, Daniel Harris, Matt Riggio
In: Wells, Ziebell, Rawlings
Out: Ed Lower, Daniel Harris, Matt Riggio
FREMANTLE
B: Roger Hayden, Chris Tarrant, Antoni Grover
HB: Nic Suban, Luke McPharlin, Steven Dodd
C: Stephen Hill, Paul Hasleby, Garrick Ibbotson
HF: Paul Duffield, Michael Johnson, Clayton Hinkley
F: Brett Peake, Matthew Pavlich, Dean Solomon
Foll: Aaron Sandilands, Byron Schammer, David Mundy
I/C: Ryan Murphy, Matt de Boer, Des Headland, Scott Thornton
Emg: Greg Broughton, Andrew Foster, Kepler Bradley
In: Headland
Out: Greg Broughton
| 17 |
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