No Swallow
North Melbourne’s gutsy skipper Andrew Swallow has been crucial to the team’s rise up the ladder in recent years. His absence, due to surgery on a broken hand earlier this week, could expose the Kangaroos midfield but with the likes of veteran Brent Harvey, Jack Ziebell and Ben Cunnington playing, they seem in safe hands.
Ruck battle
The mouth-watering ruck battle between the competition’s two top-ranked ruckmen is one match-up worth the ticket price alone. Todd Goldstein and Aaron Sandilands are ranked one and two for hit-outs in the AFL this season with 277 and 253 respectively. Sandilands dominated against the Western Bulldogs, winning 50 hit-outs as Freo blitzed the Bulldogs’ inexperienced ruck stocks. But, it will be a tall order to do that against an in-form Goldstein.
From the Roos: Goldy's Sandi challenge
Kangas at Domain Stadium
North Melbourne won both their games at Domain Stadium against Fremantle and West Coast last year. The ground seems to suit their attacking flair. Fremantle went down in a tight contest in Round 6 last year by just 13 points.
Fyfey’s 100th
Do milestones mean anything in football? Probably not once players cross the white line. In Nat Fyfe’s case, if he finds another level because it is his 100th, it will be a remarkable game to witness.
Team is focus for Fyfe
