- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
North Melbourne will look to rejuvenate their finals hopes against an equally desperate Carlton at Etihad Stadium tonight. We’ll have live scores and commentary from 7.50pm AEST.
The Kangaroos’ flailing finals hopes could diminish with a loss tonight, while a win for Carlton could make them a front-runner amid the pack eyeing off eighth spot on the ladder, with Collingwood seemingly safe in seventh with an eight-point buffer.
In team news, the Blues have named an unchanged line-up, while the Kangaroos welcome back Lindsay Thomas and Scott McMahon at the expense of Michael Firrito and Levi Greenwood – both of whom have been omitted.
The ninth-placed Blues (seven wins, eight losses) are sitting on the fringe of the top eight after snapping a four-game losing streak in Round 16, outlasting a gutsy but unpolished St Kilda side.
At 11th on the ladder, the Kangaroos (six wins, nine losses) are situated alongside the Lions and Crows, and now look to be long shots to play finals this year.
The Kangaroos will be smarting after again letting slip a significant lead that will only add to coach Brad Scott’s dismay at his team’s inability to win close contests this year.
The past two weeks have been indicative of the Kangaroos’ form this season; after climbing all over Richmond one week, they arrived at the Gabba in Round 16 only to fall victim to another unlikely Brisbane comeback.
Their turbulent form has seen them continually oscillate between their scintillating best and woeful worst, inflating and then puncturing the same belief they have instilled in North fans.
For Carlton, the expectation that they’d give the top four a shake in 2013 has been abandoned and their chances of a finals appearance hinge on the next few weeks.
They’ll be encouraged by the efforts of Lachie Henderson up forward as cover for Jarrad Waite, and hoping their midfield quality will edge them over the line in what is bound to be an almighty struggle for survival in 2013.
Both teams will be looking to use tonight’s game as a momentum boost from which they can put underwhelming seasons to date behind them, discover a pulse and move into contention to stir up problems in September.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.