The crucial cogs of AFL's Round 10: Which players need to be the difference makers?
Bayley Fritsch should become an even more important player from a structural perspective, given key forward Jacob van Rooyen will be unavailable due to concussion.
A five-goal final term has lifted North Melbourne to a 38-point win over Gold Coast to maintain their unbeaten start to the AFL season.
The Kangaroos led at every change against an undersized Suns before their final-term blitz blew the Suns away in an 18.11 (119) to 11.15 (81) victory.
The win means the Roos have won their opening five matches of a season for the first time since 2005.
Ben Brown booted four goals for the visitors, one of six multiple goalkickers for the free-scoring Roos.
Shaun Higgins kicked three majors while Jarrad Waite, Todd Goldstein, Drew Petrie and Lindsay Thomas also bagged two goals each.
The Suns began coach Rodney Eade’s 600th match as a coach or player without key defenders Steven May (suspended) and Rory Thompson (ankle).
Twice, the hosts managed to get within three points of the Kangaroos but, both times, the visitors seized back the initiative with a flurry of fast goals.
The loss means after three straight wins to start their season, the Suns have slumped to a 3-2 record after five matches.
Coleman Medal contender Tom Lynch continued his hot start to the year with four more goals to take his season tally to 22.
Peter Wright, in his first start of the year, also booted three goals in a good performance by the two-metre forward.
The Suns suffered a late blow with Adam Saad limping off with a groin injury, while captain Gary Ablett completed the match despite coming off in the opening term with a cork to his right calf.
Kangaroos’ midfielder Ben Cunnington was placed on report in the second term for rough conduct on Ablett.
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Bayley Fritsch should become an even more important player from a structural perspective, given key forward Jacob van Rooyen will be unavailable due to concussion.
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Tom Hawkins returns to familiar surroundings of Geelong - but is it the tonic he needs to regain some of his confidence back after a goalless four games.
Jeremy Finlayson should be a welcome addition to the Port Adelaide forward line after kicking four goals in the SANFL last week.
Last, year in the second showdown, Adelaide destroyed Port by 47 points with a staggering 20 marks inside 50 with Tex Walker the main star.
There’s no disputing that Cam Guthrie will be important against Melbourne, given Patrick Dangerfield is set to miss due to injury.