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A five-goal third term from Ben Brown has inspired North Melbourne to a 43-point win over an understrength Greater Western Sydney in Hobart.
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Final score
North Melbourne Kangaroos 17.10.112
GWS Giants 9.15.69
The North Melbourne Kangaroos will return to a happy hunting ground in Hobart as they look to get back in the winners’ against an undermanned GWS Giants. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 1:45pm (AEST).
There couldn’t be a better time to play the Giants for opposition teams. They have an injury list which feels like it’s growing by the day and it’s starting to affect their form on the field.
With Phil Davis and Matt de Boer added this week, joining players like Josh Kelly, Brett Deledio, Toby Greene and Tom Scully among a host of others on the sidelines, things are unravelling for the Western Sydney squad.
Since their victory over the Brisbane Lions in Round 6, they haven’t looked remotely bordering on playing good footy.
A huge 61-point belting at the hands of the Geelong Cats followed, and while playing away from home at Kardinia Park is never easy, the Giants were atrocious. Last week didn’t improve things for GWS, as they lost at home to the West Coast Eagles by 27.
Their kicking across those two games has been atrocious, to put it bluntly. They kicked 12 goals and 21 behinds across the two games, with opportunities regularly ending in a single point, and while the quality across the league has been down, defences have been putting pressure on them far too easily.
North Melbourne weren’t supposed to be in the same class as the Giants this season and while at full strength they still wouldn’t be, the Kangaroos have put in a series of plucky performances to take four wins out of their first eight games.
Pool their will to keep fighting and stay in games alongside their record in Hobart – which currently reads 12 wins from 16 games – and they are more than just a chance here.
The biggest shock came in a Round 7 win away from home over the Sydney Swans, grabbing a two-point win at the death, but a win over Hawthorn a fortnight prior and losing to the Richmond Tigers by only ten points last week confirms they are in with a genuine shot of making the eight in 2018.
The Giants are only ahead of them on the ladder by virtue of having a draw instead of four losses and with the season gathering pace, the result of this one is pivotal for both teams to start building momentum and move in the right direction.
The key appears to be Ben Brown, with the Kangaroos forward leading the competition for goals. He has 26 to his name and if the Giants can’t find a way to win the battle in midfield, the 25-year-old could have a field day.
Prediction
The Giants have too many injuries and the Kangaroos like playing in Hobart too much. North Melbourne should pick up the win.
Kangaroos by 12.
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