TV: Channel 7, Fox Footy, 7 mate (WA and northern states)
LUXBET SAYS: Geelong $1.67. North Melbourne $2.25.
WHY WATCH
Can North Melbourne produce a four-quarter performance against the only top-eight team it hasn't beaten this season?
Will the Cats avoid a straight sets finals exit? Or is Geelong's premiership window shut after all?
Questions that have lingered all season will finally be answered Friday night.
The winner will hit the road to play a preliminary final against Sydney at the MCG next Friday night.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Brent Harvey says his 36-year-old legs are ready to burn.
"My body feels good and I’ve had three weeks off. I’ve done a little bit of extra running but that’s about it, so I’m fresh and hopefully I can contribute," Harvey said.
"My role will be to come into the team and just play my role, there’s nothing special about it, if I can do that and do it well and I’ve got 21 teammates who can do that well as well, then we think we’re a big chance."
LAST FIVE GAMES
Geelong
W 2 Fremantle W 6 Carlton L 23 Hawthorn W 62 Brisbane Lions L Hawthorn 36
North Melbourne
W 75 GWS W 50 Western Bulldogs W 7 Adelaide W 30 Melbourne W 12 Essendon
LAST FIVE GAMES BETWEEN CLUBS
Geel, Geel, NM, Geel, NM
COLD HARD FACT
Will the Cats will be able to reverse their second-half fade-outs against a North side that has made a habit of starting slowly, before finishing games strongly?
The stats say Geelong will hold a half-time lead but will need to brace for North's surge in the second half.
KEY MATCHUPS
Brian Lake's superb defensive job on Tom Hawkins last week perhaps masked the fact Tomahawk is in good form right now.
Scott Thompson will get the job for the Roos, but can he contain Hawkins when isolated one on one as effectively as Lake?
Hawkins remains Geelong's main passage to victory. And his duel with Thompson could sway the result.
One area North will hope to exploit is the ruck. Cats No.1 big man Hamish McIntosh (knee) has been ruled out and that leaves the versatile Mark Blicavs to tackle Todd Goldstein on his own.
Blicavs had 14 hit-outs last week against the Hawks (only one less than McIntosh) and managed 20 touches, so Chris Scott will be confident he can at least break even.
2014 CLASHES
Geelong has beaten the Roos twice this year. Most recently, the Cats 32-point win five weeks ago and enjoyed a 20-point victory in Round 10.
Lachlan Hansen is a certain starter when fit. Unfortunately a hip injury has him in doubt to face the Cats. Photo: Getty
FINAL WORD
History says Geelong is virtually a certainty because, in the 14 completed years of this finals format, 26 of 28 higher-ranked sides have won during the second week of finals.
Compare overall class and finals experience and the Cats come out on again.
Here is the case for North Melbourne...
Winning contested footy and hurting opposition for their mistakes is a crucial part of winning finals.
Geelong has been below par in that department during 2014.
While many expected the Cats to flick the switch last week against Hawthorn, they again lost the contested ball tally, as well as the tackle count.
On Friday, a tight battle focused around the contest could favour the Kangaroos.
Brad Scott's troops rank sixth in contested possession differential for the season at +77, compared to Geelong at 13th with -54.
Which team is more settled? You'd have to say North Melbourne.
Harvey’s availability means there will be at least one change at North. It is also sweating on the fitness of Leigh Adams and Lachlan Hansen. But overall the Kangaroos have a much stronger team when Boomer plays.
For Geelong, Steve Johnson's injury cloud is gloomy enough But Steven Motlop (bruised ankle) and Allen Christensen (back soreness) will be far from 100 per cent as well.
The Cats have a banged-up look about them.
And that tips the match in the Kangaroos' favour. We're backing an upset here.
Roos by three points.
AFL Semi-Final Preview: Geelong v North Melbourne
