North Melbourne must beat Geelong this Sunday. No ifs. No buts. No maybes.
If North Melbourne is to have any chance of making the top four like many experts predicted pre-season, this is a must win game.
They Kangaroos started the year in horrendous fashion against the Crows in Round 1. Their pressure was dismal and the first half was as uncompetitive as they have played in a long time. For all intents and purposes, they didn’t show up.
North Melbourne did what they had to do against Brisbane in Round 2 – however the Round 3 loss to Port Adelaide may hurt them down the track as they vie for a top four berth.
Despite last week’s loss, no one could question North Melbourne’s intensity or hunger for the contest. This must be carried into this weekend.
Geelong is no longer the powerhouse they once were. This isn’t to say they are now an easybeat, and the Cats are always hard to beat at Skilled Stadium.
That being said, the Kangaroos must pounce.
Geelong will be without superstar Jimmy Bartel, as well as Matthew Stokes and Tom Longergan for Sunday’s clash. Steve Johnson has had a dismal start to the year after an injury interrupted pre-season and Joel Selwood has been left once again to carry the load.
Things won’t be getting any easier for North from here. They are drawn to play Hawthorn, Essendon and Fremantle in three of the next four rounds. Sunday’s match against Geelong is essential to their top four aspirations and Brad Scott will be hoping for a repeat of last year’s finals victory over his brother on Anzac weekend.
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We’re taking a look at one player from each team that needs to make a difference this week, starting with the ANZAC Day games.
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