Preview NAB Challenge (Round 4): North Melbourne v Hawthorn (Sat. Night at Etihad Stadium)

[Twinkletoes]

Our final preseason hitout which is traditionally a full dress rehearsal for Round 1 of the season proper.

I expect the side selected to reflect the probable lineup for the Crows game.

The Hawks should be approaching it in similar fashion.

Unlike a past practice game which was abandoned due to heavy rain, this one will be a complete hitout under the roof (if required).

Should be a good game with some of the cobwebs being blown out in the first couple of games.

No injuries please!

All North v Hawks chatter in 'ere folks..........

(opposition posters welcome)

 

[Mav]

Do you know if it's televised?

 

[Dan]

Obviously a strong side will be picked but how do they approach this game in order to be best prepared for Round 1?

Cautious or win at all costs?

You don't wanna go all out but at the same time you don't wanna blow ya load in a practice game.

Do you know if it's televised?

Foxtel

 

[Dugdale2Dwyer]

grand final preview.

 

[Chazdog92]

Is anyone doing the double header?

 

[Donkey Chop]

I'd be inclined to rest Goldy for this one. Losing 5kgs in a game seems less then ideal to me. The guys our star, wrap him in cotton wool. He doesn't need another hitout to play well in rd1.

Same goes for anyone else that lost too much weight playing in that temp

 

[The Nostradamus]

I'd rest Drew who played the first 2 games and doesn't look like he needs to find form, other than that should be close to full strength

And save Higgins for round 1 when it counts

 

[Passmore]

I'd rest Drew who played the first 2 games and doesn't look like he needs to find form, other than that should be close to full strength

And save Higgins for round 1 when it counts

It'll be interesting what they do with Drew. He seems to be the sort that thrives on footy, but they will probably need to play Daw to ease the workload on Goldy, Brown has to play, Waite will come back in and Black was encouraging enough last week to stick with. And there is "only" six on the bench.

Swallow, Zeibell, Thomas, McDonald and Ray have also played both games. Again, interesting to see what they do with these blokes.

I agree with Higgins. I'd be safety first there. He's had a good build up, looked in good nick in NAB 1 and is already back training so they can get a good workload into him between now and Rd 1.

 

[RobZombie]

I'd be inclined to rest Goldy for this one. Losing 5kgs in a game seems less then ideal to me. The guys our star, wrap him in cotton wool. He doesn't need another hitout to play well in rd1.

Same goes for anyone else that lost too much weight playing in that temp

Mostly fluids, surely. He can rehydrate within a week?

 

[RobZombie]

Be interesting to see how many of naturally north's 7-8 get another chance to audition for Rd1. I'd expect to see Luke in the 24, and Maj for Drew would make sense. Go conservative with Higgins if there's any doubt, and manage Wellsy's TOG if necessary.

 

[year of the roo]

Drew had had an interesting start to the year. Usually he starts quite slowly and builds as the season goes on. But this year he's come out all guns blazing. As a result I'm genuinely torn on whether he should play this or not.

Agree with the calls for cotton wooling Goldy and Higgins.

Wright, Atley, Thompson, Waite,Spud, Cunners, Anderson, Harvey all should return. These sort of teams are normally impossible to predict, but for s**t and giggles:

B Spud Tarrant Wright
HB Thompson Hansen Atley
C Wells Cunners Dal
HF Harvey Waite Anderson
F Black Brown Garner
R Daw Jacobs Ziebell
B Gibson Jmac Swallow Mullett Thomas Wood

 

[shintemaster]

Play two guys that won't be playing all year and tell them to put Hodge and Lewis into the dirt as hard as they can at the first opportunity. Then tell them not to f*** with us again.

 

[muttley45]

Just as Preuss treated Treloar on Sunday, Messrs Hodge and Lewis to receive a bit of the same please, (but flying the flag is pointless )

 

[muttley45]

Play two guys that won't be playing all year and tell them to put Hodge and Lewis into the dirt as hard as they can at the first opportunity. Then tell them not to f*** with us again.

Snap

 

[shintemaster]

Just as Preuss treated Treloar on Sunday, Messrs Hodge and Lewis to receive a bit of the same please, (but flying the flag is pointless )

It wouldn't be flying the flag... more like... education.

 

[Twinkletoes]

It wouldn't be flying the flag... more like... education.

I should start with lesson 1 at kinder pickup this arvo.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

I think most of the squad are primed for round one.

I'd be giving McKenzie, Clarke, Mountford and Mullett plenty of midfield (wings) minutes.

 

[goalieboy82]

 

[ArjenTheGreat]

FB: MacMillan - Tarrant - McKenzie
HB: McDonald - Thompson - Atley
C: Mullet - Cunnington - Wells
HF: Garner - Petrie - Ziebell
FF: Thomas - Waite - Brown
Ruck: Daw - Swallow - Clarke
I/C: Harvey - Dal Santo - Anderson - Wood - Black - Mountford

Not considered: Jacobs, Hansen, Wright, Gibson

Rested: Goldstein, Higgins, Firitto

Basically a 90% full dress rehearsal.

 

[Firestarter]

Losing to Collingwood means we can only go up so looking forward to the boys clipping some wings.

 

[RobZombie]

I think most of the squad are primed for round one.

I'd be giving McKenzie, Clarke, Mountford and Mullett plenty of midfield (wings) minutes.

Ditto. Even if they're out of the frame for Round 1, I'd like to see them all get a chance to impress against good opposition before they go back to the VFL. Numbers, availability and player management all permitting of course.

 

[Donkey Chop]

Mostly fluids, surely. He can rehydrate within a week?

Yeah you'd think it would be mostly fluids but it still seems a lot. I'm no sports science guy so I can't really comment on how much is too much.

Hopefully someone at the club knows lol

 

[Phillyroo]

FB: MacMillan - Tarrant - McKenzie
HB: McDonald - Thompson - Atley
C: Mullet - Cunnington - Wells
HF: Garner - Petrie - Ziebell
FF: Thomas - Waite - Brown
Ruck: Daw - Swallow - Clarke
I/C: Harvey - Dal Santo - Anderson - Wood - Black - Mountford

Not considered: Jacobs, Hansen, Wright, Gibson

Rested: Goldstein, Higgins, Firitto

Basically a 90% full dress rehearsal.

Hahaha the four you listed as not considered, are certainties to play this week, and three of them (if not all 4) are certainties to play round one.

 

[ArjenTheGreat]

Hahaha the four you listed as not considered, are certainties to play this week, and three of them (if not all 4) are certainties to play round one.

If that's the case, Goldy, Higgins and Spud come in, which 7 players miss out?

Mountford, Black, McKenzie, Wood - sure, but Daw?, Mullet?, Clarke?

Meh. It's the same old problem, our "best" team is slow and unskilled. So by rights we must play it, despite never being a realistic chance of winning it all.

Something has to give.

 

[WWSD]

Looks like we'll be playing North Melbourne 4 times this year.


NAB Challenge: North Melbourne vs Hawthorn - Etihad Stadium
Round 13: North Melbourne vs Hawthorn - Etihad Stadium
Round 21: Hawthorn vs North Melbourne - MCG
2016 AFL GF: Hawthorn vs North Melbourne - MCG


In all seriousness though, looking forward to this game. Although it's only a Nab Challenge match and won't mean much in terms of form, it should still be quite an entertaining game as both sides line-ups on Saturday night will probably reflect their Round 1 team.

I love watching North Melbourne play. They play an attractive brand of footy and can match it with the best as they've shown over the years. Besides this season, it's a real shame the AFL don't schedule Hawthorn vs North Melbourne games at least twice during the Home and Away season like they used to during the 80s and 90s and early 2000's.