Autopsy AFL 2026 Round 1 - North v Port Sun March 15th 1:10pm AEDT (Marvel)

[Wosh]

AFL 2026 PREMIERSHIP SEASON ROUND 1
NORTH MELBOURNE V PORT ADELAIDE
SUNDAY MARCH 15TH 1:10PM AEDT (MARVEL)

TRY TIPPING ON BIGFOOTY



CLICK HERE TIP IN BIGFOOTY TIPPING
$1000 total prize money!
$500 first place and a spiffy medal
$300 second place
$200 third place

Weekly Prize:
Best score each round wins a year's Premium Platinum membership!

Tipping proudly sponsored by
The Golden Ticket

Medallion Club tickets at the MCG and Marvel
Corporate Box tickets at the MCG and Marvel
AFL Finals Tickets

Optus Stadium open air box tickets

Adelaide Oval Stadium Club tickets

Heritage Bank Stadium Lounge tickets

GABBA Open Air Corporate Boxes



Teams:

KANGAROOS
B: T.Pink, G.Logue, C.Comben
HB: F.O’Sullivan, C.Daniel, T.Blamires
C: J.Simpkin, T.Powell, D.Stephens
HF: P.Curtis, C.Trembath, J.Konstanty
F: C.Zurhaar, N.Larkey - C, L.Dovaston
FOLL: T.Xerri, L.Davies-Uniacke, H.Sheezel

I/C: Z.Duursma, C.McKercher, L.McDonald, C.Coleman-Jones, L.Parker, J.Darling, Z.Banch, R.Hansen Jr


POWER
B: L.Jones, E.Ratugolea, T.Marshall
HB: M.Bergman, A.Aliir, K.Farrell
C: J.Burgoyne, C.Rozee - C, J.Wehr
HF: J.Horne-Francis, M.Georgiades, J.Berry
F: D.Byrne-Jones, J.Whitlock, J.Richards

FOLL: D.Visentini, Z.Butters, W.Drew
I/C: C.Durdin, J.Mead, O.Lord, J.Lukosius, J.Sweet, E.Mackinlay, L.Evans, J.Watkins


Links to the Club Board tipping comps



​

Discussion bounce down is now!

 

[timokane]

Interesting this one.

going for the home team here and north by 10 points

 

[JackFlash]

Port to fall over the line by 10 points

 

[Drunk_off_R0zee]

Port by 27

JHF 2 goals and 2000 boos

 

[SC_Power]

Disappointed the poll doesn’t have a JHF option.

Port tipped by the experts for bottom 4, North tipped to finally breakout into the fringes of finals territory

North playing at home should be favorites.

 

[Makeshift Park]

The Hornedog's return ensures this'll be a spicy affair. Its a shame Wardlaw probably won't be available as that'd be a genuinely compelling pairing, especially given North got him with part of the JHF compo.

But if we zoom out for a moment... these are two of the more patchy lists going around, and I won't be surprised if they end up within a spot or two of each other when the season's done.

At the centre I expect Xerri will dominate Visentini. Problem for North is that it doesn't have a natural matchup for Butters. It may well be FOS has to pay attention to him, in his first proper seniors game as a primary onballer, which is quite the task.

Last time we lost to them by 9 points at Adelaide oval. If Hardeman and Wardlaw were uninjured, I'd probably give North a narrow edge this time around.

The heart still says North: we have the more dynamic forwardline, with Trembath and Dovaston much needed additions to the one we trotted out the last time we met. The backline too has improved marginally - say what you like about Logue and Pink but they're both improvements on Kal Dawson. Port's squad changes this time around are probably a net negative - this time there's no Rioli, SPP, Finlayson, Wines, and they've gained Ramm, Durdin, Lukosius, Wehr.

Nevertheless, the head says Port thanks to a new coach bounce, the irrepressible Zak Butters

9

Zak Butters

Age

25

Ht

181cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.3

4star

K

7.7

3star

HB

6.7

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.8

3star

D

14.7

4star

K

8.9

4star

HB

5.9

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.1

3star

D

17.0

5star

K

9.0

4star

HB

8.0

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.6

4star

CL

0.6

3star

, and more than anything else, Clarkson's inability to get North's playing group to perform like a sum of its parts. Reckon this one gets decided by less than a goal.

 

[Xtreme]

North Melbourne to get the win
JHF to get off to a flying start with 3 of the best brownlow votes you'll ever see.

Kochie should have grown some balls and cleared out ALL coaches if he was intent on a fresh start. Carr is just Hinkley 2.0.

 

[Rod Stroker]

more than anything else, Clarkson's inability to get North's playing group to perform like a sum of its parts. Reckon this one gets decided by less than a goal.

this is also why I'm expecting a loss. no discernible game plan. Although I expect it will be more than goal.

 

[MisterMarcus]

If North are truly going to move out of the bottom 4 and into "genuinely getting better" territory, they need to win games like this.

 

[JPetro83]

KOTD FC easily. gifted 5 wins to start the year

 

[Zevon]

Tipping the upset, North by a few goals.

No idea why, just one of those deeply unreliable gut feelings I get from time to time.

 

[WhyAmIHere]

Ports top 8 are better than Norths top 8. Norths bottom 14 are better than Ports bottom 14, but not better enough to exploit them.

Port by plenty in the first of 19 losses for the 'roos.

 

[Chip Scab1]

North by plenty.

Morals.

 

[Makeshift Park]

Ports top 8 are better than Norths top 8.

Nah.

On proven output, Butters is clearly the best current player in both teams. But I reckon the next 9 are a pretty evenly split between Rozee, LDU, Sheezel, JHF, Bergman, Larkey, Georgiades, Xerri, Curtis.

Injuries permitting, Wardlaw, FOS and McKercher should join the reliable quality of that echelon in the first few rounds of this year.

 

[SC_Power]

North Melbourne to get the win
JHF to get off to a flying start with 3 of the best brownlow votes you'll ever see.

Kochie should have grown some balls and cleared out ALL coaches if he was intent on a fresh start. Carr is just Hinkley 2.0.

Ah not this dribble again.
Every single week.

 

[SC_Power]

KOTD FC easily. gifted 5 wins to start the year

And here’s another one…. Oh dear.

Did you actually look at your draw last year?

 

[Xtreme]

Ah not this dribble again.
Every single week.

JHF is the perfect specimen in regards to how all future players should play the game.

 

[harper2bastinac]

Ports still the tipsters and bookies favourite, if north want to stand for something they have to win this game and more this season, no more competitive losses every week

 

[TheKanga]

I'd like to believe we can win this but we haven't proven we can win these type of games
So it's a nervous wait for all North supporters will we show up or have 45-10 first qtr horror show

 

[JPetro83]

And here’s another one…. Oh dear.

Did you actually look at your draw last year?

Wasn't as easy as yours is this year.

 

[Blightys Barrel]

If Clarko picks Daniel in the backline - Port win by directing all traffic at him and feasting on his 22.5 meter kick outs from defence.

Good luck to the 2 rookies. NORTH Melbourne has confirmed two debutants for Sunday's clash against Port Adelaide, with Lachy Dovaston and Tom Blamires both locked in to play.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

The main part of the field where North can compete with other teams is the midfield, arguably the forward line isn't weak either but it lacks beyond two players. North can't compete with Port's midfield unless Butters has checked out early in Clayton Oliver

10

Clayton Oliver

Age

28

Ht

189cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.8

5star

K

9.5

4star

HB

18.4

5star

M

3.2

3star

T

6.3

5star

CL

6.3

5star

D

25.1

5star

K

11.1

4star

HB

14.0

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

5.6

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

19.2

5star

K

4.6

2star

HB

14.6

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

4.4

5star

CL

3.8

5star

style. Port have to be 80% favourites, margin maybe 6-8 goals.
And let's face it, North couldn't stop an 80 year virgin from scoring.

 

[the big lebowski]

The main part of the field where North can compete with other teams is the midfield, arguably the forward line isn't weak either but it lacks beyond two players. North can't compete with Port's midfield unless Butters has checked out early in Clayton Oliver style. Port have to be 80% favourites, margin maybe 6-8 goals.
And let's face it, North couldn't stop an 80 year virgin from scoring.

Port had 2 players kick 20 goals plus last year. One of those has retired.

 

[voorhees]

huge for both camps.
clarko and the roos need a early win for that shot of confidence.
For the Power it's a should and could situation, but in the past haven't.
coin toss

 

[Blightys Barrel]

I assume Clarko will persist with Konstanty, so send him to shake hands with Rozee if he is still playing off the HB to stop him racking up a +800 meter game.

Would then have Powell and Parker rotate on Butters and try to limit his damage out of the centre. If they halved one of those and won the other then it would go a long way to helping a North win.

If Adcock and the other coaches cannot get that defensive transition framework in place, then expect Georgiades and the other forwards to have a field day.

All matches in a season are important, but if the NMFC does not stand up for 4 QTRs in this game then the drums will only beat louder for organisational change at the club. There are no more proud losses, unless you have extenuating circumstances eg, 0 fit players on the bench.