BUZZING by Meggs

In the second of the Indigenous rounds at Narrm’s favourite home ground, Ikon Park, expect the crowd to be buzzing with anticipation for this huge clash of two of the best skilled teams in AFLW.

The Saturday night match sees the best offensive team take on the best defensive team and to the winner goes the spoils of a Top Two spot on the AFLW Season Eight premiership ladder.

The extended quarters, interchange rotation limits, and our elite fitness, have allowed the Demons to now average the equivalent of 12.5 goals a game while North has the stingiest defence conceding only three goals per match. Narrm has three players in the top seven of the goal kicking table. 

The reigning premiers have won the previous five clashes but it’s always a nail biter and we should expect Saturday to be no different.  Get along if you can and support our team.

During the week Meggs read an AFLW article about the biggest improvers in Season Eight. They listed two Adelaide players, North’s Mia King, and Brisbane’s seasoned winger Sophie Conway (really?).  

So Meggs went poring through our list and reckons they missed Irish sensation, Blaithin Mackin.  

Blaithin’s career disposal average prior to 2023 was 8.6 per game and this year is 13.7.  Tackles were 1.4 are now up to 2.4 per game and meters gained is 160.9 up to 315.9.  A star is B!

Selection this week

Midfield maestro Paxy Paxman, utility Maddie Gay, first ruck Loz Pearce and defender Gab Colvin all return for the big clash.  Unlucky to miss are Rhi Watt and Charlotte Wilson.  Lampy has fractured her wrist and will miss at least three matches.  Megan Fitzsimon is omitted and has been quiet in her three games so far in 2023.

North Melbourne has named an unchanged team for this week.

Our opponents, North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos

Considered by many as the league’s best player, Jasmine Garner will be pivotal for the Roos on Saturday.  Her midfield sidekicks include the indefatigable Ash Riddell, the clever Jenna Bruton and inside bull Mia King. They are a group highly respected by the Demons brains trust.  

Mick maybe sends Heater to run with Ash?

Their defence is missing vice-captain Nicole Bresnehan, but defensive leader Emma Kearney, has good support in talls Ferguson, Wright and Shannon.

The North key marking forwards Kate Shierlaw, Tahlia Randall and Emma King have been getting great supply from the midfield.  This group will be a handful for Libby Birch and her crew.

Only two weeks ago we learned how damaging strong goalscoring mids can be with Marinoff and Hatchard.  O’Loughlin and Eddey and handy smalls.  

A huge challenge awaits on Saturday.

Meggs view

The weather forecast says gusty winds for Saturday and 16-18 degrees.  

It will be a fantastic battle between two of the elite AFLW midfields.  If we can match their intensity and get our hands on the ball first and out to our runners, we should be able to kick a winning score.

Meggs expects Irish player Erika O’Shea to pick up the in-form Alyssa Bannan.  While both are speedsters, Erika is quicker so Banno will have to use her smarts as well as her skills.

North rucks Kim Rennie and Emma King are top notch, and we should expect a great battle against the veteran Demon Loz Pearce and the young and emerging talent Georgia Campbell.

Where we win this game is our forward craft overwhelming their strong backline.  

Containing our leading goal scorers Zanker, Hore and Bannan is a mighty challenge for North and they can only hope we suffer from inaccurate kicking.

Another challenger to put to the sword.  A big effort please. If we win and Brisbane beats Adelaide we go top of the ladder!

Go Dees!

Melbourne by 5 points

THE GAME

Melbourne v North Melbourne at Ikon Park, on Saturday 21 October 2023 at 7:15pm (Melbourne time)

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Melbourne 5 wins North Melbourne 1 win

At Ikon Park Melbourne 1 win North Melbourne 0 wins

The Coaches Stinear 4 wins Crocker 0 wins

MEDIA

TV - Fox Footy, Kayo.  

Mobile – AFL Live Official App

Radio – Check your local guides

THE LAST TIME THEY MET

Melbourne 5.3 (33) defeated North Melbourne 2.4 (16) in the Season Seven Preliminary Final at Ikon Park, on 19 November 2022

On a blustery Saturday afternoon where the conditions affected marking skills and the ball bounced unpredictably, the Mighty Dees stuck fat against a determined Kangaroos outfit to break away with two last quarter goals to none to win by 17 points.

The winning margin was an all-time high between these two teams.

From the outset the Preliminary Final was a fiercely fought contest with Melbourne unable to find the ball in space.  North really amped up their one-percenters and tackling pressure and played an extra player behind the ball, making it difficult for Melbourne to score.

With the Dees up by five points at the main break, North came out and dominated the third quarter holding Melbourne scoreless.  The ball spent 82% of the time the Roos’ forward half but they could only muster 2 points. Bella Eddey had their best opportunity, but her reverse torpedo missed to the right.

It was only 3 points the difference at ¾ time.

With the game still in the balance, Daisy Pearce stunned the crowd with an amazing last quarter goal to book the Demons into consecutive grand finals, while simultaneously Deestroying the hopes of the North Melbourne supporters.

MELBOURNE  2.0.13  3.1.19 3.1.19 5.3.33

NORTH MELBOURNE  1.0.6 2.2.14 2.4.16 2.4.16

GOALS

Melbourne: Fitzsimon, Mithen, Sherriff, Hore, D.Pearce

North Melbourne: Randall, E.King

BEST

Melbourne: Paxman, Mithen, Hanks, Heath

North Melbourne: Kearney, Garner, Riddell, Wright

INJURIES

Melbourne: Harris (left shoulder)

North Melbourne: Nil

Reports: Nil

Crowd: 5,592 at Ikon Park

THE TEAMS

NARRM

B L Birch T. Gillard

HB S. Goldrick S. Heath M. Chaplin

C B. Mackin T. Hanks E. McNamara 

HF A. Bannan C. Sherriff L. Mithen 

F E. Zanker K. Hore 

FOLL L. Pearce E. West P. Paxman 

I/C  G. Campbell G. Colvin M. Gay A. Mackin O. Purcell EMG M. Fitzsimon R. Watt C. Wilson 

IN G. Colvin, M. Gay P. Paxman L. Pearce

OUT M.Fitzsimon (omitted) S. Lampard (wrist) R. Watt (omitted) C.Wilson (omitted)

NORTH MELBOURNE

B E. Shannon J. Ferguson

HB E. Kearney S. Wright E. O'Shea

C A. Smith M. King T. Gatt

HF B. Eddey A. O'Laughlin K. Shierlaw

F E. King T. Randall

FOLL K. Rennie J. Garner A. Riddell

I/C J. Bruton T. Craven N. Martin L. Pullar R. Tripodi EMG H. Bowey L. Burke E. Gavalas

No change

Injury List: Round 8

Pax Paxman (concussion) available

Tayla Harris (hamstring) test

Maddie Gay (managed) available

Loz Pearce (shoulder) available

Gaby Colvin (Achilles) available

Sarah Lampard (Wrist) 3 weeks