North Melbourne vs. Port Adelaide, Saturday Night 7:20pm, Etihad Stadium
Sportsbet Odds:
North Melbourne: $2.10
Port Adelaide: $1.73
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Match Preview:
It’s nearly impossible to get a read on North Melbourne. This is nothing new, a side reaching its third year of frustrating supporters and onlookers. There needed to be a removal of one factor in the off-season, it’s the volatility that the Kangaroos often still have their game. This volatility exists from even patches in quarters, not week by week as some have suggested.
They are a side that moves the ball very well in transition, and isolates its forwards nearly better than any other team in the competition. That’s on a good day. On a bad day, the Roos break down under pressure and make horrific mistakes. The intensity of pressure on the opposition ball users still varies too much for them to be successful over four quarters, with lapses of concentration ending in cheap goals.
The key for North is (again) finding consistency and an output that is sustainable.
For Port Adelaide, this start to the season is not the disaster people are making it out to be, still very likely to finish top 4 or even top 2 regardless of the first couple of rounds. But, if in game trends aren’t quickly reversed, those lofty standards set last year will look harder to reach by the minute.
They didn’t seem themselves in their first two games, the manic intensity curbed by well organised oppositions in Sydney and Fremantle. Saturday night is a huge opportunity for their explosive offence players like Wingard and Wines to get off the leash and do maximum damage to an opponent is who well known to have lapses in defensive judgement.
Key Match Ups:
Todd Goldstein v Jarrad Redden/Patrick Ryder/Matthew Lobbe
A selection dilemma that will go to the wire on Saturday night when the teams are picked. Port Adelaide are still unsure when and if Lobbe will be right to return from his quad injury. Goldstein was in searing form against the Brisbane Lions, and his effectiveness around the ground will need to be curbed by Ryder and Redden if Lobbe is deemed unfit.
Ben Brown/Jarrad Waite v Jack Hombsch
Despite North Melbourne’s own key defensive deficiencies, Hombsch (193cm) will take either Waite (195cm) or Brown (200cm) in what will be a huge task. Both North players will be either isolated one out deep or working to create space for the other key forwards. Hombsch, the most inexperienced of the Port defensive group, has to be on his game here.
Result:
This enticing contest is the key game of the round. It’s by no means season over for the loser, but tough draws for both North and Port in the next month mean it’s points that have to be chased back later in the year.
Both sides love scoring openly, and whoever gets a run on will be difficult to stop.
Port by 4.
AFL Preview: North Melbourne v Port Adelaide
