Sunday, July 5 2009, 1.10pm, SCG
Season to date
Considered a genuine finals contender at the start of the season, it’s all gone awry for North Melbourne with just four wins from 13 games.
The Kangaroos sat on the cusp of the top eight after their 13-point win against Fremantle in round nine but like the Swans, they’ve lost their past four games. Injuries to Jesse Smith, Daniel Wells and skipper Brent Harvey haven’t helped their cause.
Coach Dean Laidley resigned after the round 12 loss to Adelaide, feeling he’d done all he could after seven seasons. Assistant coach Darren Crocker stepped in as a fresh voice for round 13 and an improved effort against the Western Bulldogs followed.
Recent form
Round 9 – North Melbourne 14.14 (98) d Fremantle 12.13 (85), Docklands
Round 10 – North Melbourne 12.9 (81) lost to Brisbane Lions 15.9 (99), Docklands
Round 11 – North Melbourne 9.3 (57) lost to St Kilda 15.13 (103), Docklands
Round 12 – North Melbourne 3.6 (24) lost to Adelaide 9.14 (68), AAMI Stadium
Round 13 – North Melbourne 12.14 (86) lost to Western Bulldogs 17.6 (108), MCG
Last time they met
Sydney Swans 17.8 (110) d North Melbourne, elimination final, 2008, ANZ Stadium
The Kangaroos had the better of the first half on a cold, wet night at ANZ Stadium and led by 10 points at the long break. However, they were no match for the Swans, who produced an inspired second half to storm away.
The Swans booted eight goals to four in the third term to run away 35-point victors.
Adam Goodes, Kieren Jack and Barry Hall shared nine goals while Amon Buchanan (27 touches) and Jarrad McVeigh (25) were also good.
North was best served by skipper Brent Harvey with 20 touches and two goals.
The venue: SCG
In an interesting quirk of the draw, North hasn’t played at the SCG since 2005. It might be a good thing as far as the Roos are concerned as they’ve lost six of their past seven at the ground.
Overall, North Melbourne boasts a winning record at the SCG with 20 wins from 30 games.
The coach: Darren Crocker
Caretaker coach Crocker is well known to many of the Swans coaching staff, having played with John Longmire, Brett Allison and John Blakey in the 1990s.
He took the helm after Dean Laidley’s departure and a re-energised North showed plenty against the Western Bulldogs in round 13, pushing the highly fancied Dogs for three quarters.
Crocker has pledged that his team will play attacking, exciting football for the remainder of the season. It will be interesting to see how his new approach fares against the hard-tackling Swans on their home turf.
Strengths
In Hamish McIntosh, North Melbourne has one of the few ruckmen capable of matching it with Darren Jolly in the ruck.
And although the Roos’ midfield is weakened by Daniel Wells’ absence and Brent Harvey’s lack of match fitness, the likes of Adam Simpson, Brady Rawlings, Daniel Harris and Andrew Swallow will win their share of clearances.
North is also blessed with tall forwards Hale, Petrie and Lachie Hansen, so the Swans’ tall defenders will have their work cut out on Sunday.
Missing in action
Skilful winger Wells (groin) is a major loss to the side, as is impressive first-year midfielder Jack Ziebell (broken leg). Other potential senior players ruled out of Sunday’s clash include small forward Matt Campbell (hamstring), Jesse Smith (hamstring) and Ben Warren (broken leg).
The key: A fast start
More than half the North Melbourne players named for Sunday’s game have never played an AFL game on the SCG so the Swans need to capitalise on any early nerves.
As they showed against Port Adelaide, a blistering opening quarter can be devastating when a team has a raucous home crowd behind them.
However, if the Roos are given a chance to settle, they have more than enough quality across the park to test the Swans, particularly at the stoppages. Last week’s game against the Bulldogs was testament to North Melbourne’s ability.
The young gun: Andrew Swallow
The gutsy midfielder has thrived with the extra responsibility thrown his way in his fourth AFL season. A hard, in-and-under stoppage specialist with excellent endurance, Swallow will relish the congestion of the SCG.
The 22-year-old has shone against the league’s best midfields this year with star turns against the Brisbane Lions (21 touches, 14 tackles), Collingwood (23) and the Bulldogs (24, one goal). Expect him to rise to the challenge against Kirk, Bolton and O’Keefe on Sunday.
The big questions
Was North Melbourne’s improved effort against the Bulldogs a one-off? How will the Swans’ forwards cope in the absence of the suspended Barry Hall? How will the Kangaroos deal with the unfamiliar turf of the SCG? Can the Swans keep their flickering finals hopes alive with a win?
What they’re saying
“The hostile environment’s an interesting one because our record on the road hasn’t been great. As we’ve stressed to the group, there’s got to be some excitement about going interstate and performing really well. We want to play a brand of football that brings our supporters and members to the games. I felt that we took strides forward in the way we want to play last week.” - North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.
