TonyK
CibbuanoRound ten preview: North Melbourne v Brisbane
May 29th 2009 13:53
VENUE and TIME: Etihad Stadium, Saturday 30 May, 2.10pm (AEST)
HEAD TO HEAD: North Melbourne 21, Brisbane Lions 15, Draws 1
LAST TIME: North Melbourne 13.14 (92) def Brisbane Lions 11.18 (84), Round 18 2008 at Carrara
RECENT HISTORY: Brisbane has won six of its past nine against North Melbourne with two of those wins coming at Etihad Stadium.
FORM: North Melbourne overcame a sluggish start to down Fremantle by 13 points in a hard-fought contest at Etihad Stadium last Saturday. The Kangaroos have won four of their first nine matches. Brisbane challenged an undefeated St Kilda side all day last weekend, eventually going down by 16 points. The Lions currently occupy seventh place on the AFL ladder with a 5-4 win-loss record.
MEDICAL ROOM: North will be without midfielder Sam Power who suffered a hamstring injury in the win over the Dockers while small forward Matt Campbell and promising young defender Lachlan Hansen also remain on the sidelines with hamstring injuries. Daniel Pratt will miss again after undergoing minor knee surgery while skipper Brent Harvey is sidelined for another seven to nine weeks with a dislocated elbow. The injury-prone Jesse Smith is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury. For the Lions, Albert Proud returns after being a late withdrawal from the match against the Saints with a hip flexor injury. Troy Selwood will miss again after suffering concussion a fortnight ago while Daniel Merrett (ankle - three weeks), Jamie Charman (ankle - four weeks), Joel Patfull (broken jaw - four weeks), Bradd Dalziell (knee - five weeks) and Matthew Leuenberger (knee - nine weeks) are all unavailable.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Brady Rawlings vs. Simon Black
Black was among his side’s best in the loss to the Saints with 27 quality disposals
The 2002 Brownlow medallist was instrumental in the Lions’ last win over North Melbourne in round 10 last year with a game-high 30 possessions in a performance that earned him the two Brownlow medal votes.
The Brisbane star is damaging with his ability to win the football in close and also deliver it cleanly inside 50 - he leads the club for clearances and is fifth for inside 50’s.
If the Kangaroos are going to have any hope of containing the Lions’ star forwards in Jonathan Brown and Daniel Bradshaw they will need to quell the influence of Black in the middle.
Rawlings has claimed some major scalps during his 188-game career and will be given the job of tagging Black on Saturday in what shapes as being a pivotal duel.
North will need Rawlings to not give Black any time or space otherwise he will continually deliver the football lace out to his key forwards.
Cheynee Stiller vs. Daniel Wells
The last time these two sides met in round 18 last year Wells collected a game-high 31 possessions to help lift his side to a thrilling eight-point win.
The 24-year-old provides the Kangaroos with plenty of drive - he is second for bounces and inside 50’s.
The Lions will be keen to shut-down his run and carry through the middle of the ground as the North’s forwards will struggle to receive enough quality supply to kick a winning score without him having an impact.
Stiller did a superb blanketing job on in-form St Kilda midfielder Nick Dal Santo last weekend and looms as the obvious candidate to run with Wells.
The Brisbane midfielder will need to be switched on defensively for the full four quarters as Wells has the ability to break a game wide open in the space of a few minutes - highlighted by the two goals he set up in the second quarter against the Dockers before he kicked a classy running goal of his own.
Josh Gibson vs. Jonathan Brown
Brown looms as the main danger man for the Kangaroos given that he has booted 17 goals in his past three matches against the Roos.
With Hansen still on the sidelines and Michael Firrito spending more time in the midfield you would expect Gibson to be given first crack at the Brisbane skipper.
Gibson will need support from his midfield if he is going to have any hope of containing Brown who kicked 11 goals in the two matches between these two sides last year.
The Kangaroos will need to apply relentless pressure all over the ground otherwise the likes of Daniel Rich, Luke Power and Black will be able to deliver the football cleanly inside 50 to their skipper.
Joel MacDonald vs. David Hale
Hale returned to form against the Dockers last weekend, booting five goals including the match-winner.
The Kangaroos will need a similar performance from Hale on Saturday if they are going to kick a big enough score to secure their fifth win of the season.
Given that Patfull and Merrett are both on the sidelines with injury, McDonald will most likely be given the job of matching up on Hale.
If the Roos are able to get the football quickly inside 50 the 200cm Hale will cause plenty of headaches for an undersized Brisbane defence.
However, if they overuse the football and continually go wide as has been the case for most of the season they will be punished on the rebound by the likes of MacDonald and Josh Drummond.
VERDICT: While Brisbane has been one of the form sides in the competition in the past month North Melbourne has been the epitome of inconsistency - they are yet to string together back-to-back wins in 2009. The Kangaroos will battle hard all afternoon but with Daniel Bradshaw and Brown in pretty good form the Lions should get up in a tight contest. Lions by 25 points.
NORTH MELBOURNE v BRISBANE LIONS
NORTH MELBOURNE
B: Nathan Grima, Scott Thompson, Gavin Urquhart
HB: Brady Rawlings, Michael Firrito, Leigh Harding
C: Ben Ross, Jack Ziebell, Sam Wright
HF: Daniel Wells, Drew Petrie, Ben Warren
F: Lindsay Thomas, David Hale, Scott McMahon
Foll: Hamish McIntosh, Levi Greenwood, Andrew Swallow
I/C: Adam Simpson, Todd Goldstein, Aaron Edwards, Josh Gibson
Emg: Corey Jones, Daniel Harris, Josh Smith
In: Greenwood
Out: Sam Power (hamstring)
BRISBANE LIONS
B: Ashley McGrath, Joel Macdonald, James Polkinghorne
HB: Sam Sheldon, Jared Brennan, Josh Drummond
C: Scott Harding, Simon Black, Daniel Rich
HF: Michael Rischitelli, Jonathan Brown, Justin Sherman
F: Cheynee Stiller, Daniel Bradshaw, Luke Power
Foll: Mitch Clark, Rhan Hooper, Jed Adcock
I/C: Tim Notting, Albert Proud, Lachlan Henderson, Matt Austin
Emg: Tom Collier, Aaron Cornelius, Travis Johnstone
In: Proud, Hooper, Henderson
Out: Aaron Cornelius, Travis Johnstone, Tom Collier
HEAD TO HEAD: North Melbourne 21, Brisbane Lions 15, Draws 1
LAST TIME: North Melbourne 13.14 (92) def Brisbane Lions 11.18 (84), Round 18 2008 at Carrara
RECENT HISTORY: Brisbane has won six of its past nine against North Melbourne with two of those wins coming at Etihad Stadium.
FORM: North Melbourne overcame a sluggish start to down Fremantle by 13 points in a hard-fought contest at Etihad Stadium last Saturday. The Kangaroos have won four of their first nine matches. Brisbane challenged an undefeated St Kilda side all day last weekend, eventually going down by 16 points. The Lions currently occupy seventh place on the AFL ladder with a 5-4 win-loss record.
MEDICAL ROOM: North will be without midfielder Sam Power who suffered a hamstring injury in the win over the Dockers while small forward Matt Campbell and promising young defender Lachlan Hansen also remain on the sidelines with hamstring injuries. Daniel Pratt will miss again after undergoing minor knee surgery while skipper Brent Harvey is sidelined for another seven to nine weeks with a dislocated elbow. The injury-prone Jesse Smith is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury. For the Lions, Albert Proud returns after being a late withdrawal from the match against the Saints with a hip flexor injury. Troy Selwood will miss again after suffering concussion a fortnight ago while Daniel Merrett (ankle - three weeks), Jamie Charman (ankle - four weeks), Joel Patfull (broken jaw - four weeks), Bradd Dalziell (knee - five weeks) and Matthew Leuenberger (knee - nine weeks) are all unavailable.
KEY MATCH-UPS: Brady Rawlings vs. Simon Black
Black was among his side’s best in the loss to the Saints with 27 quality disposals
The 2002 Brownlow medallist was instrumental in the Lions’ last win over North Melbourne in round 10 last year with a game-high 30 possessions in a performance that earned him the two Brownlow medal votes.
The Brisbane star is damaging with his ability to win the football in close and also deliver it cleanly inside 50 - he leads the club for clearances and is fifth for inside 50’s.
If the Kangaroos are going to have any hope of containing the Lions’ star forwards in Jonathan Brown and Daniel Bradshaw they will need to quell the influence of Black in the middle.
Rawlings has claimed some major scalps during his 188-game career and will be given the job of tagging Black on Saturday in what shapes as being a pivotal duel.
North will need Rawlings to not give Black any time or space otherwise he will continually deliver the football lace out to his key forwards.
Cheynee Stiller vs. Daniel Wells
The last time these two sides met in round 18 last year Wells collected a game-high 31 possessions to help lift his side to a thrilling eight-point win.
The 24-year-old provides the Kangaroos with plenty of drive - he is second for bounces and inside 50’s.
The Lions will be keen to shut-down his run and carry through the middle of the ground as the North’s forwards will struggle to receive enough quality supply to kick a winning score without him having an impact.
Stiller did a superb blanketing job on in-form St Kilda midfielder Nick Dal Santo last weekend and looms as the obvious candidate to run with Wells.
The Brisbane midfielder will need to be switched on defensively for the full four quarters as Wells has the ability to break a game wide open in the space of a few minutes - highlighted by the two goals he set up in the second quarter against the Dockers before he kicked a classy running goal of his own.
Josh Gibson vs. Jonathan Brown
Brown looms as the main danger man for the Kangaroos given that he has booted 17 goals in his past three matches against the Roos.
With Hansen still on the sidelines and Michael Firrito spending more time in the midfield you would expect Gibson to be given first crack at the Brisbane skipper.
Gibson will need support from his midfield if he is going to have any hope of containing Brown who kicked 11 goals in the two matches between these two sides last year.
The Kangaroos will need to apply relentless pressure all over the ground otherwise the likes of Daniel Rich, Luke Power and Black will be able to deliver the football cleanly inside 50 to their skipper.
Joel MacDonald vs. David Hale
Hale returned to form against the Dockers last weekend, booting five goals including the match-winner.
The Kangaroos will need a similar performance from Hale on Saturday if they are going to kick a big enough score to secure their fifth win of the season.
Given that Patfull and Merrett are both on the sidelines with injury, McDonald will most likely be given the job of matching up on Hale.
If the Roos are able to get the football quickly inside 50 the 200cm Hale will cause plenty of headaches for an undersized Brisbane defence.
However, if they overuse the football and continually go wide as has been the case for most of the season they will be punished on the rebound by the likes of MacDonald and Josh Drummond.
VERDICT: While Brisbane has been one of the form sides in the competition in the past month North Melbourne has been the epitome of inconsistency - they are yet to string together back-to-back wins in 2009. The Kangaroos will battle hard all afternoon but with Daniel Bradshaw and Brown in pretty good form the Lions should get up in a tight contest. Lions by 25 points.
NORTH MELBOURNE v BRISBANE LIONS
NORTH MELBOURNE
B: Nathan Grima, Scott Thompson, Gavin Urquhart
HB: Brady Rawlings, Michael Firrito, Leigh Harding
C: Ben Ross, Jack Ziebell, Sam Wright
HF: Daniel Wells, Drew Petrie, Ben Warren
F: Lindsay Thomas, David Hale, Scott McMahon
Foll: Hamish McIntosh, Levi Greenwood, Andrew Swallow
I/C: Adam Simpson, Todd Goldstein, Aaron Edwards, Josh Gibson
Emg: Corey Jones, Daniel Harris, Josh Smith
In: Greenwood
Out: Sam Power (hamstring)
BRISBANE LIONS
B: Ashley McGrath, Joel Macdonald, James Polkinghorne
HB: Sam Sheldon, Jared Brennan, Josh Drummond
C: Scott Harding, Simon Black, Daniel Rich
HF: Michael Rischitelli, Jonathan Brown, Justin Sherman
F: Cheynee Stiller, Daniel Bradshaw, Luke Power
Foll: Mitch Clark, Rhan Hooper, Jed Adcock
I/C: Tim Notting, Albert Proud, Lachlan Henderson, Matt Austin
Emg: Tom Collier, Aaron Cornelius, Travis Johnstone
In: Proud, Hooper, Henderson
Out: Aaron Cornelius, Travis Johnstone, Tom Collier
| 15 |
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