The Essendon Bombers will do battle with the North Melbourne Kangaroos at Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match from 3:20pm AEST.
Essendon are coming off a 28-point win over the West Coast Eagles in Perth – a first-quarter blitz of six straight goals set up the victory for the Bombers.
Meanwhile, North Melbourne got over the line late to steal a two-point win against the Western Bulldogs last Saturday night.
A turnover by the Bulldogs in the final minute gave North Melbourne the ball, and they were good enough to transition and score through captain Jack Ziebell.
Essendon have made two changes to their side for the clash, with Mason Redman out injured and Josh Green omitted.
Patrick Ambrose and Travis Colyer come into the team, both have returned strongly from injuries through the VFL.
For the Kangaroos Billy Hartung will miss with a hamstring injury, while Paul Ahern has been omitted.
Ben Jacobs returns to the side after being a late withdrawal for concussion symptoms last Saturday and Ryan Clarke has been recalled following a month in the VFL.
The two teams appear evenly matched, North with two more wins are inside the eight, Essendon just outside and can’t really afford to fall any further back.
Round 18 2017 was the last time these two teams met, and the Bombers took home a 27 point victory.
Prediction
Essendon have two strong inclusions and should be confident after knocking off West Coast.
However, the belief North Melbourne have gained by coming from behind and beating the Western Bulldogs and the fact that a win here gives them a break on those outside the eight, should be enough to get them across the line.
North Melbourne by 9.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match from 3:20pm AEST.
FNQ
Guest
Best half of footy for the season hands down. High skilled, high scoring game.
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
In an old fashioned shootout, the Essendon Bombers have prevailed 17 point victors over the North Melbourne Kangaroos at Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon. After fairly even start to the game, North made the most of consecutive centre clearances to kick three in a row, before Essendon responded with four straight, including two in a row kicked by Orazio Fantasia. Late first quarter goals to Shaun Atley and Ben Cunnington gave North a six point lead at the first break. Essendon levelled the game in the opening minute of the second quarter with Shaun McKernan’s first goal and then went in front with his second, but had their run halted by three North Melbourne goals. The response from the Bombers exhausted Norths’ defenders who seemed to tire as the first half wound down. McKernan kicked his third for the term, before a dribble goal by Zach Merrett, a Devon Smith monster from outside 50 and two by Jake Stringer had the Bombers back out by 20 at the main break. The Bombers were up by as much as 32 to start the third, before Before North pegged it back to 12 at three quarter time through Ryan Clarke, Luke McDonald and Paul Ahern goals. It was goal for goal in the final term, as the Bombers worked hard to try and get their fast ball movement going against North’s efforts to slow the play down. In the end, Essendon ran out 17 point winners in front of 45,580 fans. Orazio Fantasia (4 goals, 17 disposals) and Shaun McKernan (4 goals, 18 disposals) went on runs in the first and third quarter respectively, to help their side to a winning score. After Shaun Higgins (31 disposals, 5 clearances) and Ben Cunnington (23 disposals, 2 goals) dominated the first quarter for North, Zach Merrett (32 disposals, 1 goal, 12 clearances) and Dyson Heppell (34 disposals, 5 clearances) got the game back on Essendon’s terms. North Melbourne would have loved to have tagger Ben Jacobs on the field, however, he was a late withdrawal today, still suffering delayed concussion symptoms. Paul Ahern was the late inclusion for Ben Jacobs today, and the former Giant scored his first AFL goal, also gathering 22 disposals. North will be sweating on the recovery of Mason Wood, who suffered a leg injury in the final term. It is unclear whether Jarrad Waite will be available at selection next week, should Wood be unfit. Next up for the Bombers is a trip down the road to host Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday afternoon, and North will host Gold Coast at Etihad also on Sunday.
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Thanks for tuning, it was another great clash between these two sides. I'll post a match report shortly. Round 15 has had some great matches across the weekend; thanks for following along and I'll catch you next weekend.
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Huge team performance by the Bombers, who scored quickly when they got their fast ball movement going. They came out on top in a fairly even game thanks to four goal hauls by Fantasia (3 in the first quarter) and McKernan (3 in the third quarter). Essendon kept North Melbourne at arms length in the last to finish with a 17 point victory. North now fall outside the eight on percentage, equal with Geelong and Melbourne on 8 wins for the season. Goals Essendon Fantasia, McKernan 4, Stringer 3, Myers 2, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Smith, Baguley, Bellchambers, McGrath, Merrett North Melbourne Wood 3, Brown, Cunnington, McDonald 2, Dumont, Hrovat, Ahern, Atley, Clarke, Turner, Ziebell Disposals Essendon Heppell 34, Merrett 32, Hurley 25 North Melbourne Higgins 31, Macmillan 24, Cunnington 23 Final Score Essendon 19.11 (125) North Melbourne 16.12 (108)
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Q4 0' FULL TIME An old fashioned shootout with 35 goals scored between the two sides, but Essendon take a 17 point victory over North Melbourne in front of a packed crowd at Etihad Stadium. Essendon 125 North Melbourne 108
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Q4 0' - BEHIND ROOS Rushed. 8 second left... Essendon 125 North Melbourne 108
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Q4 1' - BEHIND ROOS Brown goes for the snap around the body and misses. Essendon 125 North Melbourne 107
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Q4 1' - BEHIND ROOS Goldstein tries a quick response but his kick on the run from 50 is off to the left. Essendon 125 North Melbourne 106
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Q4 1' - GOAL BOMBERS All over here. Stringer takes a grab, Cunnington knocks him after the mark and gives away 50 metres. From the square, Stringer will waste all of his 30 seconds and then shoot through the easy goal. Tempers boil over after that one. Essendon 125 North Melbourne 105
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Q4 2' - GOAL ROOS North take it on off half-back, but fumble, they get away with it. Centre to Cunnington, handballs to McDonald who goes bang from 50. It's through. 14 points. Essendon 119 North Melbourne 105
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Q4 4' - GOAL BOMBERS Through the centre of the ground, McDonald-Tipungwuti is hit up on the lead back to goals. His set shot will be from 30 out, slightest of angles, and not a problem for him. Just about seals it you'd think... Essendon 119 North Melbourne 99
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Q4 5' - BEHIND ROOS Wood can't kick a set shot.. he sprays that one to the left. Essendon 113 North Melbourne 99
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Q4 7' - BEHIND BOMBERS Guelfi can't kick the ball on the bounce through for a major, just a third behind for him. A goal there would have just about sealed it. Essendon 113 North Melbourne 98
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Q4 8' - BEHIND BOMBERS Smother by Heppell could be huge for the Bombers... they get a stoppage deep in their forward 50. Guelfi with the snap out the stoppage, misses. Essendon 112 North Melbourne 98
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Q4 9' - GOAL ROOS Centring kick is marked by Dumont, who plays on with a snap. Goal. 13 points the margin. Essendon 111 North Melbourne 98
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
When Essendon get going they're hard to stop. If only Brown had kicked straight, this would be really interesting... Bombers have been tentative going forward in the past couple minutes though.
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Q4 11' Strong tackle, North kick it up a gear and find Brown on the lead. Directly in front the normally accurate Brown has completely sprayed that one to the right. Not even registering a behind. Essendon 111 North Melbourne 92
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Q4 12' - GOAL BOMBERS McKernan from the boundary line! His fourth is a brilliant one. Essendon 111 North Melbourne 92
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Q4 12' Bit of back and fourth here in the middle patch of the final term. Essendon 105 North Melbourne 92
Sarah Wildy
Roar Guru
Q4 14' - GOAL ROOS North go slow on transition, a lovely kick from Macmillan finds Cunnington, who turns and hits Brown on the lead. No mistake with that set shot from directly in front, Brown has two. Essendon 105 North Melbourne 92