Rd 3. North Melbourne vs Port Adelaide. Docklands @ 4.10pm.

[Smiling Buddha]

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that this match will give a strong indication of not just where these teams are headed for the rest of the season, but what their supporters can expect for years to come.

Look at their games played and age profiles. Very similar. North vs Port.

It is a rudimentary (and arbitrary) metric but let's look at the games played breakdown (based on teams who took the field last week):

Games played - North - Port
0-29: 4 - 5
30-79: 7 - 5
80-150: 7 - 9
>150: 4 - 3

Both teams are surprisingly experienced when you look at them on paper. The exciting thing for Port is that players like Hartlett, Wines and Wingard are already amongst their most effective players despite their young age. The worrying thing for North is that our most effective players have generally been guys on the wrong side of 27.

If North can't win this, then you would think a 1-6 record going into the first bye is on the cards. That is 'play the kids' time. Thankyou linesmen, thankyou ballboys, thankyou Gibson, Anthony, McMahon.

Meanwhile if Port get up, suddenly a 6-2 or even 7-1 going into the bye looks likely. It will be time for Port fans to put away the sunnies and invest in some welding masks because the future will be looking very bright.

 

[moses]

North have been somewhat of a bogey side for port over the years, even in their premiership year north spanked them. I however think port will win today, but will be a close physical contest.

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[kaiserchief13]

Looking forward to this one. Port 110-108 North final.

 

[Winter]

Looking forward to this one. Port 110-108 North final.

That's just cruel.

Ziebell looking very doubtful means we're without two of our top three contested ball and clearance players (Swallow/Ziebell). Considering the strength and effectiveness of Port Adelaide's midfield, the second tier engine room must lift and support Cunnington. Wells and Dal Santo must win their own ball, Greenwood must play 100 minutes and we may see the likes of Atley and Bastinac start a few centre bounces.

Lot of respect for Port's game right now, would be very happy with a win.

 

[Carnthe]

Not sure about how this weeks result going either way will then cause the next 5 weeks results to fall in the same direction but otherwise all pretty reasonable.

 

[Chopperdave]

In Adelaide I would have backed us in comfortably. However at Etihad with the Kangaroos who always seem to find a way to beat us regardless of form I think we will fall short. If we can somehow get up then I think the lid may well and truly be coming off.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Port are the better side.

 

[Janus]

I reckon it'll be a cracking game. I've said on our board that if North wins, I'll stand up and applaud because they will have earned it - not because we're some fantastic team, but because I believe in the ethos that our coach espouses of never giving up. I don't expect us to roll over if things are looking grim.

 

[Smiling Buddha]

Ziebell looking very doubtful means we're without two of our top three contested ball and clearance players (Swallow/Ziebell).

The excuses have already started.

Last time we played Port (a match we won) our major contested possession winners were (in order) Cunnington, Bastinac, Firrito, Swallow and Wells. The only players to record more than two clearances were Cunnington, Wells, Swallow and Bastinac. Ziebell nowhere to be seen. And the coaching panel have known for more than six months that they would be going into this game without Swallow.

Not sure about how this weeks result going either way will then cause the next 5 weeks results to fall in the same direction but otherwise all pretty reasonable.

Sydney (away), Collingwood, Fremantle (away), Gold Coast. Which of those do you tip us to win, if we can't even beat Port on our home turf?

 

[Greasyrhys]

Just hope the umpires give us a fair go, unlike last year's farce (38-15 frees North's way).

Won't be surprised if we lose, but it's a game we really should win.

 

[Carnthe]

The excuses have already started.

Last time we played Port
Sydney (away), Collingwood, Fremantle (away), Gold Coast. Which of those do you tip us to win, if we can't even beat Port on our home turf?

You're right in that we should be looking to beat Port in our home game. But I think they're a better side than Collingwood and Gold Coast.

 

[mansize rooster]

norths record stands at 20-8 against port
confident.

 

[Heaps of fun]

Looking forward to this one. Port 110-108 North final.

Very unlikely that the score line will look anything like that. So far this season North have been sacrificing scoring potency for defence. Would be playing right into Port's hands (which is well possible) to make this a shoot out like one of our 2013 games.

 

[Rack Watts]

I think North will get up.

 

[tribey]

Confident, but North's record speaks for itself.

14-2 home record vs. Port in Melbourne/Canberra/Hobart/Sydney.

 

[THRILLHO]

Jay Schultz for highest goal kicker is money for jam. First thing he must do every October is circle when Port plays North.

 

[ZeroGlass]

This game is definitely up for grabs. Looking forward to it, although memories of Round 8 2004 are still lingering.

 

[BornPort]

Would be pretty confident of a win if it was in Adelaide, but our bogey side at a ground we dont usually play well on has me very nervous. North are also pretty impressive when they're on.

 

[Jim Dixon]

There's a lot of nice things been said about Port but we're still a very young side and the bane of youth is inconsistency. I don't doubt our sides effort but we're going to have down days. This could be one of those days.

 

[And_ROOS]

I tipped Port, but this is a serious danger game for those of us taking our tipping seriously

 

[Hearts to hearts]

Confident, but North's record speaks for itself.

14-2 home record vs. Port in Melbourne/Canberra/Hobart/Sydney.

The history is skewed by the years Port was new to the AFL and North were in their last era of dominance. Plus this Port team and coach have no fear of making history. I wouldn't worry about the past too much.

 

[Kangaroos4eva]

3-goal win to north, tipping with little confidence.

 

[Duck Farmer]

Nervous about this one. North normally have our measure and Etihad isn't the happiest of hunting grounds for us. If we win this, we're set for a good season.

 

[Crawb]

Just hope the umpires give us a fair go, unlike last year's farce (38-15 frees North's way).

Won't be surprised if we lose, but it's a game we really should win.

Not the umpire's fault your team didn't know/understand/follow the rules last year.

 

[TheMcGrathMan]

Jonas to Thomas
Cornes to Boomer/Wells
Grima to Schulz
Thompson to Westhoff
Goldstein v Lobbe

Some of the more important match ups today I think. Hartlett and Wingard vital to Port, can't see who we have that will really be able to shut either down. On other side, Wells/Bastinac are much more susceptible to being tagged out in Wells case and just beaten by an opponent in Bastinacs.

Port deserved favourites but hope we make a fist of this. Need to hurt Port on the scoreboard in the first because they will run all over us late.