Sunday’s second AFL Round 9 match is between North Melbourne Kangaroos and Adelaide Crows with the game to be played at Etihad Stadium. The opening bounce is set to commence at 3:20pm local time with home team North Melbourne Kangaroos currently holding favouritism for the match. View our AFL live scores, odds and results for the game between North Melbourne Kangaroos and Adelaide Crows.
WHERE AND WHEN: Etihad Stadium, Sunday 26th May, 3:20pm
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Preview:
North Melbourne play Adelaide on Sunday, 3.20PM at Etihad Stadium. While the Kangaroos will go into this match as favourties, the Crows may just give them a push. The Roos were closely beaten again last round, and will be keen to turn things around against Adelaide this week. The Crows are coming off a win against St Kilda, and their confidence should be up going into this match. Brent Harvey may just make all the difference for North Melbourne, especialy if Adelaide are unable to match him in the midfield.
Teams:
North Melbourne Kangaroos: 
B: Aaron Mullett, Scott D. Thompson, Jamie Macmillan
HB: Daniel Wells, Nathan Grima, Michael Firrito
C: Sam Gibson, Shaun Atley, Ryan Bastinac
HF: Ben Cunnington, Drew Petrie, Brent Harvey
F: Lindsay Thomas, Majak Daw, Leigh Adams
Foll: Todd Goldstein, Andrew Swallow, Jack Ziebell
Int (from): Will Sierakowski, Sam Wright, Lachlan Hansen, Aaron Black, Jordan Gysberts, Scott McMahon, Taylor Hine
In: W.Sierakowski, J.Gysberts, T.Hine
Out: –
Adelaide Crows:
B: Luke Brown, Ben Rutten, Andrew Otten
HB: Brent Reilly, Daniel Talia, Brodie Smith
C: Bernie Vince, Patrick Dangerfield, David Mackay
HF: Rory Sloane, Josh Jenkins, Jarryd Lyons
F: Sam Kerridge, Thomas Lynch, Richard Douglas
Foll: Sam Jacobs, Scott Thompson, Nathan van Berlo
Int (from): Shaun McKernan, Rory Laird, Ian Callinan, Jason Porplyzia, Ricky Henderson, Jared Petrenko, Matthew Wright
In: J.Petrenko, I.Callinan, R.Henderson
Out: –
Kangaroos take heart from AFL near-misses
If North Melbourne had kicked just one goal more in three games this season they’d be in the AFL top four, within percentage of top spot.
Instead they sit two wins outside of the eight.
But Kangaroos ruckman Todd Goldstein says they won’t fall into the trap of pondering what might have been.
Instead, as they prepare for a crunch encounter with Adelaide on Sunday, they’re using near-misses against AFL heavyweights Hawthorn, Geelong and West Coast as inspiration for what they can still make of their season.
“You could spend a lot of time wishing you could be top four if this had have happened or the ball had have bounced that way,” Goldstein told AAP.
“But it just gives us great confidence in everything the coaches and staff have been telling us, that we are heading in the right direction.
“If we stick with what we’ve been doing, the wins will come.”
Goldstein admitted last round’s after-the-siren loss to the Eagles was initially shattering.
But the distraction of a timely club golf day on Wednesday helped brighten the mood, as did the space of a few days to gain perspective.
“We get what we deserve, so if we do everything right we will get the wins,” Goldstein said.
After facing pressure for his spot from recruit Dan Currie in the pre-season, Goldstein’s own season start has been impressive.
He says Majak Daw’s step up to the AFL since round four has made his job easier, given the high-leaping Sudanese big man’s stints in the ruck.
Goldstein had previously been reluctant to spend much time up forward and let Drew Petrie pinch-hit in the ruck given Petrie’s enormous importance to North’s attack.
“Last year I played a few games 100 per cent in the ruck and it definitely takes a toll,” he said.
“The last three or four weeks since Majak’s been in – definitely I’ve run out games better.”
Goldstein is confident an improved North midfield can hold their own against a Crows brigade studded with stars such as Scott Thompson, Patrick Dangerfield, Rory Sloane and Richard Douglas.
And he knows the Kangaroos can’t afford another near-miss.
“At 3-5 we can’t afford to drop too many games, especially to the teams around us,” Goldstein said.
“It is important. Every game’s important now when you don’t quite win those games early and you lose by under a kick.”