TonyK
CibbuanoRound one preview: Melbourne v North Melbourne
March 28th 2009 15:34
VENUE and TIME: MCG, Sunday 29 March, 1.10pm (AEDT)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 147: Melbourne 83, North Melbourne 63, Drawn 1
LAST TIME: North Melbourne 14.14 (98) d Melbourne 10.10 (70), Round 17, 2008 at the MCG.
RECENT HISTORY: North Melbourne has won its past four clashes against Melbourne with two of those wins coming at the home of football.
FORM: Melbourne was desperately unlucky to be knocked out in the first week of the NAB Cup - they led all day but lost thanks to a goal from Hawthorn forward Jarryd Roughead in the dying seconds. The Demons showed further promising signs in their NAB Challenge matches, downing the Lions and putting in competitive performances against the Sydney Swans and the Western Bulldogs. The Kangaroos were bundled out of the NAB Cup in round one by Carlton who thumped Dean Laidley’s men by 53 points. The Roos bounced back with a 97-point demolition of Fremantle but stumbled against Port Adelaide before recording a 17-point win over Essendon.
MEDICAL ROOM: Melbourne is still without veteran forward Russell Robertson, who has only just returned to full training after the serious achilles injury which saw him miss the second half of the season. cost him the second half of last season. Ruckman Mark Jamar is also out with a foot injury while defenders Paul Wheatley and Matthew Whelan will miss due to calf injuries. North Melbourne defender Jesse Smith will miss up to eight weeks with a hamstring injury while forward Aaron Edwards (club-based suspension) is unavailable.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Clint Bartram vs. Brent Harvey
The last time these two sides met in round 17 last year Harvey starred with 27 possessions and two goals.
Harvey is damaging with his ability to break the lines, kick goals and set up scoring opportunities for his teammates.
If the Demons are going to kick-off their season with a confidence-boosting win they will need to limit Harvey’s influence on the contest.
Bartram, who has tagged the likes of Brett Deledio, Gary Ablett and Peter Burgoyne during his 45-game career, looms as the obvious candidate to match-up on the North Melbourne skipper.
The 22-year-old will need to employ a tight tag but also be proactive and push forward at every available opportunity and try and make Harvey accountable.
Matthew Warnock vs. David Hale
Hale was impressive in 2008, booting 37 goals for the season - 21 of which came in the last six games.
The 24-year-old, who finished fourth in the club’s best-and-fairest award in 2008, looks set for a big year after being his side’s best player in his two appearances during the pre-season.
Warnock, who showed some good signs during his 17 games last season looms as the likely candidate to match-up on Hale.
The Kangaroos will be hoping that Hale has an impact on Sunday given the absence of Edwards and the loss of key forward Nathan Thompson who retired at the end of last season.
Hale doesn’t need to kick a bag but they do need him to at least provide a contest and bring the ball to ground level which will bring opportunistic small forwards Matt Campbell and Lindsay Thomas into the game.
Michael Firrito vs. Matthew Bate
With Robertson on the sidelines and number one draft pick Jack Watts in cotton wool, the Demons will be relying on the likes of Bate to kick them to a winning score.
However, Bate’s job won’t be an easy one as he will most likely be matched up by Firrito who is better suited to playing against the likes of Bate than the power forwards he is often forced to match-up on given the lack of big key defenders the Kangaroos have.
Bate isn't a power forward that can be relied on to take pack marks so the Demons will need to move the ball quickly through the middle of the ground and be precise with their delivery to give him the best chance of having an impact.
Brady Rawlings vs. Brock McLean
McLean, who was limited to just 14 games last season due to injury, will be hoping to have an injury free run in 2009 and help the Demons climb back up the ladder.
The 22-year-old, who has been touted as a future captain of the club, is highly effective at the stoppages. The Demons will need him to have a big game if they are going to overcome a North Melbourne side that is one of the best in the competition at winning the contested football.
However, McLean faces a tough afternoon at the office as he will most likely be tagged by Rawlings.
Rawlings, who has claimed some big scalps during his 181-game career, will give McLean no time or space in which to operate.
VERDICT: The pre-season has shown that the Demons will at least be better than last year but their lack of experience in defence is a concern. With key talls Drew Petrie and Hale in good form and Thomas and Campbell lurking at ground level, the Kangaroos appear to have a touch too much firepower and should prevail in what shapes as being a hard-fought contest. Kangaroos by 14 points.
MELBOURNE v NORTH MELBOURNE
MELBOURNE
B: Jared Rivers, Matthew Warnock, Clint Bartram
HB: Colin Garland, James Frawley, Brad Green
C: Aaron Davey, Brock McLean, Brent Moloney
HF: Cameron Bruce, Paul Johnson, Cale Morton
F: Brad Miller, Matthew Bate, Ricky Petterd
Foll: Jake Spencer, James McDonald, Simon Buckley
I/C: Jamie Bennell, Kyle Cheney, Nathan Jones, Neville Jetta
Emg: Stefan Martin, Lynden Dunn,John Meesen
New: Jake Spencer (Redlands), Jamie Bennell (Swan Districts), Kyle Cheney (Nth Ballarat, Warrack Eagles), Neville Jetta (Swan Districts)
NORTH MELBOURNE
B: Daniel Pratt, Michael Firrito, Scott McMahon
HB: Leigh Harding, Lachlan Hansen, Josh Gibson
C: Brady Rawlings, Adam Simpson, Andrew Swallow
HF: Ed Lower, Drew Petrie, Lindsay Thomas
F: Matt Campbell, David Hale, Brent Harvey
Foll: Hamish McIntosh, Daniel Wells, Jack Ziebell
I/C: Josh Smith, Sam Power, Gavin Urquhart, Scott Thompson
Emg: Daniel Harris, Benjamin Warren, Nathan Grima,
New: Jack Ziebell (Wodonga)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 147: Melbourne 83, North Melbourne 63, Drawn 1
LAST TIME: North Melbourne 14.14 (98) d Melbourne 10.10 (70), Round 17, 2008 at the MCG.
RECENT HISTORY: North Melbourne has won its past four clashes against Melbourne with two of those wins coming at the home of football.
FORM: Melbourne was desperately unlucky to be knocked out in the first week of the NAB Cup - they led all day but lost thanks to a goal from Hawthorn forward Jarryd Roughead in the dying seconds. The Demons showed further promising signs in their NAB Challenge matches, downing the Lions and putting in competitive performances against the Sydney Swans and the Western Bulldogs. The Kangaroos were bundled out of the NAB Cup in round one by Carlton who thumped Dean Laidley’s men by 53 points. The Roos bounced back with a 97-point demolition of Fremantle but stumbled against Port Adelaide before recording a 17-point win over Essendon.
MEDICAL ROOM: Melbourne is still without veteran forward Russell Robertson, who has only just returned to full training after the serious achilles injury which saw him miss the second half of the season. cost him the second half of last season. Ruckman Mark Jamar is also out with a foot injury while defenders Paul Wheatley and Matthew Whelan will miss due to calf injuries. North Melbourne defender Jesse Smith will miss up to eight weeks with a hamstring injury while forward Aaron Edwards (club-based suspension) is unavailable.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Clint Bartram vs. Brent Harvey
The last time these two sides met in round 17 last year Harvey starred with 27 possessions and two goals.
Harvey is damaging with his ability to break the lines, kick goals and set up scoring opportunities for his teammates.
If the Demons are going to kick-off their season with a confidence-boosting win they will need to limit Harvey’s influence on the contest.
Bartram, who has tagged the likes of Brett Deledio, Gary Ablett and Peter Burgoyne during his 45-game career, looms as the obvious candidate to match-up on the North Melbourne skipper.
The 22-year-old will need to employ a tight tag but also be proactive and push forward at every available opportunity and try and make Harvey accountable.
Matthew Warnock vs. David Hale
Hale was impressive in 2008, booting 37 goals for the season - 21 of which came in the last six games.
The 24-year-old, who finished fourth in the club’s best-and-fairest award in 2008, looks set for a big year after being his side’s best player in his two appearances during the pre-season.
Warnock, who showed some good signs during his 17 games last season looms as the likely candidate to match-up on Hale.
The Kangaroos will be hoping that Hale has an impact on Sunday given the absence of Edwards and the loss of key forward Nathan Thompson who retired at the end of last season.
Hale doesn’t need to kick a bag but they do need him to at least provide a contest and bring the ball to ground level which will bring opportunistic small forwards Matt Campbell and Lindsay Thomas into the game.
Michael Firrito vs. Matthew Bate
With Robertson on the sidelines and number one draft pick Jack Watts in cotton wool, the Demons will be relying on the likes of Bate to kick them to a winning score.
However, Bate’s job won’t be an easy one as he will most likely be matched up by Firrito who is better suited to playing against the likes of Bate than the power forwards he is often forced to match-up on given the lack of big key defenders the Kangaroos have.
Bate isn't a power forward that can be relied on to take pack marks so the Demons will need to move the ball quickly through the middle of the ground and be precise with their delivery to give him the best chance of having an impact.
Brady Rawlings vs. Brock McLean
McLean, who was limited to just 14 games last season due to injury, will be hoping to have an injury free run in 2009 and help the Demons climb back up the ladder.
The 22-year-old, who has been touted as a future captain of the club, is highly effective at the stoppages. The Demons will need him to have a big game if they are going to overcome a North Melbourne side that is one of the best in the competition at winning the contested football.
However, McLean faces a tough afternoon at the office as he will most likely be tagged by Rawlings.
Rawlings, who has claimed some big scalps during his 181-game career, will give McLean no time or space in which to operate.
VERDICT: The pre-season has shown that the Demons will at least be better than last year but their lack of experience in defence is a concern. With key talls Drew Petrie and Hale in good form and Thomas and Campbell lurking at ground level, the Kangaroos appear to have a touch too much firepower and should prevail in what shapes as being a hard-fought contest. Kangaroos by 14 points.
MELBOURNE v NORTH MELBOURNE
MELBOURNE
B: Jared Rivers, Matthew Warnock, Clint Bartram
HB: Colin Garland, James Frawley, Brad Green
C: Aaron Davey, Brock McLean, Brent Moloney
HF: Cameron Bruce, Paul Johnson, Cale Morton
F: Brad Miller, Matthew Bate, Ricky Petterd
Foll: Jake Spencer, James McDonald, Simon Buckley
I/C: Jamie Bennell, Kyle Cheney, Nathan Jones, Neville Jetta
Emg: Stefan Martin, Lynden Dunn,John Meesen
New: Jake Spencer (Redlands), Jamie Bennell (Swan Districts), Kyle Cheney (Nth Ballarat, Warrack Eagles), Neville Jetta (Swan Districts)
NORTH MELBOURNE
B: Daniel Pratt, Michael Firrito, Scott McMahon
HB: Leigh Harding, Lachlan Hansen, Josh Gibson
C: Brady Rawlings, Adam Simpson, Andrew Swallow
HF: Ed Lower, Drew Petrie, Lindsay Thomas
F: Matt Campbell, David Hale, Brent Harvey
Foll: Hamish McIntosh, Daniel Wells, Jack Ziebell
I/C: Josh Smith, Sam Power, Gavin Urquhart, Scott Thompson
Emg: Daniel Harris, Benjamin Warren, Nathan Grima,
New: Jack Ziebell (Wodonga)
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