Etihad Stadium – Saturday 18 August – 7:40PM
North Melbourne will be looking to secure their position in finals this week as they take on Collingwood at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
The Kangaroos have been on a roll in recent months, winning seven of their past eight games to leave them sitting sixth with only three games to go Collingwood.
Collingwood on the other hand are looking to break in to the top 2, with a loss likely to end the Magpies hope of a home Qualifying final.
It certainly appeals as the highest quality game of the round, with North looking to step up in a rare prime time game and potentially secure more in the highly fancied viewing slots for 2013.
North’s fantastic win over Essendon has come at a cost for the Roos, with Adams, Wells and Grima all likely to miss this weeks game through injury. In a timely boost for the North, Jack Ziebell and Lindsay Thomas both return from suspension for this clash while Pederson looks set to be given another chance at senior level.
Collingwood too didn’t come away from their fantastic victory against the Swans unharmed. Thomas, Jolly, Maxwell and Fasolo all experienced difficulties during the gallant victory. Luckily for Collingwood, none appear to be too serious and the Pies will fancy their chances of all playing.
In order to win this game, Collingwood will need their forward duo of Dawes and Cloke to operate at maximum efficiency. With the form Beams, Pendlebury and Sidebottom have been in, it is highly likely the duo will receive every opportunity to have an impact, it will be up to them though as to whether they can take advantage and kick a winning score.
Likewise for North, their best chance of claiming a drought-breaking win against Collingwood is for their three-pronged forward line in Petrie, Hansen and Tarrant to fire. Petrie was kept goaless by Dustin Flecther, though the attention Petrie got allowed Tarrant and Hansen to impact the game with performances that proved fatal to Essendon.
It shapes as a fantastic game of footy on Saturday night and with both teams heading towards finals, it stands to provide the winner with an added confidence boost heading in to September.
Prediction: Collingwood by 12 points
Collingwood
B: Chris Tarrant, Heritier O’Brien, Nathan Brown
HB: Nick Maxwell, Ben Reid, Alan Toovey
C: Sharrod Wellingham, Alex Fasolo, Jarryd Blair
HF: Scott Pendlebury, Chris Dawes, Heath Shaw
F: Dale Thomas, Travis Cloke, Steele Sidebottom
Foll: Darren Jolly, Ben Sinclair, Dayne Beams
I/C: Alan Didak, Martin Clarke, Paul Seedsman, Jamie Elliott
Emg: Ben Johnson, Tom Young, Caolan Mooney
North Melbourne
B: Scott McMahon, Luke Delaney, Michael Firrito
HB: Shaun Atley, Scott Thompson, Samuel Wright
C: Ryan Bastinac, Ben Cunnington, Sam Gibson
HF: Liam Anthony, Robert Tarrant, Lindsay Thomas
F: Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Lachlan Hansen
Foll: Todd Goldstein, Andrew Swallow, Jack Ziebell
I/C: Matt Campbell, Cruize Garlett, Jamie Macmillan, Kieran Harper
Emg: Aaron Edwards, Aaron Mullett, Levi Greenwood
In: Lindsay Thomas, Jack Ziebell, Luke Delaney
Out: Daniel Wells (Calf), Leigh Adams (Shoulder), Nathan Grima (Hamstring)
