eth-dog
Tier 1 WW Player
North Melbourne vs Essendon (12/08/12):
Observations:
North Melbourne: Have been in very good form. Petrie’s been firing, kicking goals and taking massive marks, and only has two first team players missing in Jack Ziebell and Lindsay Thomas. Their forward line is firing, their midfield is playing very well, but their starts haven’t been as good as they would like, and that may cost them.
Essendon: Have lost the last 3 and 4 of the last 5, with several key players out. The team had 5 of their first 7 players missing against Adelaide, and one of the players was in his first game back. The bombers will be strengthened by the possible inclusions of Fletcher, Ryder, Crameri, Stanton and Hibberd into the best 22. Jobe Watson has been crucial for them recently.
Head-to-Head (last 5) : North Melbourne 2- Essendon 3
Form:
Essendon: L-W-L-L-L
North Melbourne: L-W-W-W-W
Odds (from sportsbet.com)
Possible Teams:
North Melbourne:
B: McMahon-Grima-Firrito
HB: Atley-Thompson-Mullett
C: Wells-Swallow-Adams
HF: Harvey-Petrie-Garlett
F: Tarrant-Hansen-Harper
R: Goldstein-Cunnington-Bastinac
I: Anthony-Gibson-Wright
S: Campbell
Essendon:
B: Fletcher-Carlsile-Hardingham
HB: Dempsey-Hooker-Hibberd
C: Melksham-Watson-Heppell
HF: Gumbleton-Ryder-Jetta
F: Crameri-Hurley-Davey
R: Bellchambers-Hocking-Stanton
I: Browne-NLM-Myers
S: Colyer
Key Match-Ups:
Jobe Watson vs Andrew Swallow: Yes, I know I said that this would be a key match-up in round 1, and it’s a key match-up again. Watson has been the best player in the competition this year, and again starred in Essendon’s narrow loss to the crows. He has been immense, finding clearances, kicking goals and has been pretty much a lone hand in the midfield for the bombers. Swallow could be considered as good as Watson, and he will need to be if his team is to win, as this game has massive implications in the make-up of the 8.
Cale Hooker vs Drew Petrie: Petrie has been in incredible form, arguably the form key forward of the competition right now, with the exception of the big Pavlova. He has been taking strong marks left, right and centre. He has been converting too, which helps his confidence. Cale Hooker has been in poor form recently, two of his last four opponents have defeated him, in Tom Hawkins and Nick Riewoldt. He will want a big game, and what better chance to prove himself than against Drew Petrie?
Todd Goldstein vs Tom Bellchambers: These two ruckmen have been in fantastic form, both getting truckloads of hitouts recently. Bellchambers combatted against the best ruckman in the competition last game, and came out and got more hitouts than the opposition by himself. Goldstein has been in just as good form. It will be interesting who wins the battle, as it could be the difference of the two teams.
Keys for each team:
Essendon:
Essendon are out of form, but have 5 big players coming in from the side that took on Adelaide, all of whom are best 18, probably best 15. They also have just put in a massive performance against a near full-strength Adelaide who is playing very strong football, and will be heart broken and a little annoyed at that loss.
North Melbourne is playing excellent football. They have a midfield combination that seems to be working, a forward line that has been strong and kicking goals, and a defence that has been absorbing many attacks, even if they’ve been playing some fairly easy opponents in the Bulldogs, an out-of-form Richmond and Melbourne
Tip: Flip of a coin. Essendon in worse form, North Melbourne against easier opponents. Essendon need to win to secure a finals berth, so Essendon by 6.
Observations:
North Melbourne: Have been in very good form. Petrie’s been firing, kicking goals and taking massive marks, and only has two first team players missing in Jack Ziebell and Lindsay Thomas. Their forward line is firing, their midfield is playing very well, but their starts haven’t been as good as they would like, and that may cost them.
Essendon: Have lost the last 3 and 4 of the last 5, with several key players out. The team had 5 of their first 7 players missing against Adelaide, and one of the players was in his first game back. The bombers will be strengthened by the possible inclusions of Fletcher, Ryder, Crameri, Stanton and Hibberd into the best 22. Jobe Watson has been crucial for them recently.
Head-to-Head (last 5) : North Melbourne 2- Essendon 3
Form:
Essendon: L-W-L-L-L
North Melbourne: L-W-W-W-W
Odds (from sportsbet.com)
Possible Teams:
North Melbourne:
B: McMahon-Grima-Firrito
HB: Atley-Thompson-Mullett
C: Wells-Swallow-Adams
HF: Harvey-Petrie-Garlett
F: Tarrant-Hansen-Harper
R: Goldstein-Cunnington-Bastinac
I: Anthony-Gibson-Wright
S: Campbell
Essendon:
B: Fletcher-Carlsile-Hardingham
HB: Dempsey-Hooker-Hibberd
C: Melksham-Watson-Heppell
HF: Gumbleton-Ryder-Jetta
F: Crameri-Hurley-Davey
R: Bellchambers-Hocking-Stanton
I: Browne-NLM-Myers
S: Colyer
Key Match-Ups:
Jobe Watson vs Andrew Swallow: Yes, I know I said that this would be a key match-up in round 1, and it’s a key match-up again. Watson has been the best player in the competition this year, and again starred in Essendon’s narrow loss to the crows. He has been immense, finding clearances, kicking goals and has been pretty much a lone hand in the midfield for the bombers. Swallow could be considered as good as Watson, and he will need to be if his team is to win, as this game has massive implications in the make-up of the 8.
Cale Hooker vs Drew Petrie: Petrie has been in incredible form, arguably the form key forward of the competition right now, with the exception of the big Pavlova. He has been taking strong marks left, right and centre. He has been converting too, which helps his confidence. Cale Hooker has been in poor form recently, two of his last four opponents have defeated him, in Tom Hawkins and Nick Riewoldt. He will want a big game, and what better chance to prove himself than against Drew Petrie?
Todd Goldstein vs Tom Bellchambers: These two ruckmen have been in fantastic form, both getting truckloads of hitouts recently. Bellchambers combatted against the best ruckman in the competition last game, and came out and got more hitouts than the opposition by himself. Goldstein has been in just as good form. It will be interesting who wins the battle, as it could be the difference of the two teams.
Keys for each team:
Essendon:
- Delivery. This side has some excellent key forwards in Crameri, Ryder, Hurley and Gumbleton, and the fact that they’re all mobile is a bonus. Deliver it well and they’ll kick bags
- Put in the effort you put in against the crows. North aren’t in the class of Adelaide, so if you put in another monster effort like that you’ll go close
- Forward pressure. The pressure is vital for us to win and cause turnovers. Davey and Jetta are the two keys
- Win the contested ball. This area is crucial, you need to stop Watson, Hocking and Myers giving first use of the ball to their outside midfielders in Heppell, Stanton and Browne
- Don’t be Petrie-conscience. If you always go to Petrie in pressure situations, it’ll be easy for Fletcher to zone off his opponent and cut off the kick
- Win the ruck. The opponents have two very good ruckmen in their side, so stop them and it may be very helpful to your cause
Essendon are out of form, but have 5 big players coming in from the side that took on Adelaide, all of whom are best 18, probably best 15. They also have just put in a massive performance against a near full-strength Adelaide who is playing very strong football, and will be heart broken and a little annoyed at that loss.
North Melbourne is playing excellent football. They have a midfield combination that seems to be working, a forward line that has been strong and kicking goals, and a defence that has been absorbing many attacks, even if they’ve been playing some fairly easy opponents in the Bulldogs, an out-of-form Richmond and Melbourne
Tip: Flip of a coin. Essendon in worse form, North Melbourne against easier opponents. Essendon need to win to secure a finals berth, so Essendon by 6.
