Sunday’s AFL 2018 Round 5 match is between North Melbourne Kangaroos and Hawthorn Hawks. The opening kick is set to commence at 15:20 local time with the game to be played at Etihad Stadium. The away team Hawthorn Hawks are the favourites for the match. View our preview and teams for the game between North Melbourne Kangaroos and Hawthorn Hawks.
When: 15:20 | Sunday 22/04/2018
Where: Etihad Stadium
Preview:
Hawthorn will present a much harder challenge for North than what Carlton did last week.
Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara have been dynamic for Hawthorn and will test the slower North midfielders.
O’Meara has only played 10 games in three years due to injury and it has been easy to forget how good he was before he got injured.
He played his best game in Hawthorn colours against Melbourne last Sunday.
KEY BATTLE: Ben Jacobs v Tom Mitchell
Jacobs gets all the tough jobs against the opposition’s best players.
No-one has had as many disposals as Mitchell, so I expect Jacobs to not leave his side all game.
The Verdict
Hawthorn has lost a couple of good players through injury but despite this they’re playing exceptional team football and should be too strong for North.
The Hawks are 18-4-1 (78.3 percent) at Etihad Stadium since 2010.
Unibet Odds:
North Melbourne at $2.75
Hawthorn at $1.45
Odds:
OFFER: Deposit $50 BET with $200 via this link – Ends Soon!
Tip: Hawthorn Hawks at $1.50
Value Bet: First Goal Scorer: Luke Bruest at $11.00
More Info:
Teams:
KANGAROOS
B: Thompson, Tarrant, Williams
HB: Macmillan, Daw, Vickers-Willis
C: McDonald, Dumont, Hartung
HF: Higgins, Waite, Anderson
F: Ziebell, Brown, Atley
FOLL: Goldstein, Jacobs, Cunnington
I/C (from): Davies-Uniacke, Clarke, Turner, Simpkin, Zurhaar, McKay, Wright, Walker
IN: Wright, McKay, Walker, Zurhaar
OUT: Nil
HAWKS
B: Mirra, Frawley, Stratton
HB: Duryea, Sicily, Hardwick
C: Smith, O’Meara, Morrison
HF: Breust, O’Brien, Gunston
F: Impey, Roughead, Henderson
FOLL: McEvoy, Mitchell, Shiels
I/C (from): Glass, Burton, Howe, Cousins, Lewis, Langford, Worpel, Brand
IN: Burton, Cousins, Worpel, Langford, Brand, Lewis
OUT: Puopolo, Rioli
AFL News:
West Coast coach Adam Simpson predicts star AFL ruck duo Nic Naitanui and Scott Lycett will be in for a tough ride when they line up against Carlton at the MCG.
Naitanui and Lycett have been dominant this season, with the Eagles winning the taps 221-75 across the opening four rounds.
But their dominance has been against mostly pinch-hitting ruckmen, with Gold Coast’s Jarrod Witts the only notable exception.
The ruck competition is set to get much tougher on Saturday when Naitanui and Lycett take on proven performer Matthew Kreuzer.
“The ruck battle is interesting,” Simpson said.
“With no disrespect with the ruckmen we’ve faced over the last four weeks, I think this is the biggest challenge for Nic and Scott and they’re looking forward to it.
“That will be a very important battle for both sides.”
Despite West Coast’s utter ruck dominance, they are yet to translate it into midfield ascendancy.
Overall, West Coast have lost the clearances 151-140.
It’s a situation Simpson would love to improve.
“It’s a bit frustrating to get some dominance like we have with our hit-outs (and not win the clearances),” Simpson said.
“It’s such a contrast to last year (when we kept losing the hitouts). This is a good problem for us to have.
“We haven’t quite mastered it yet but we’re working towards what looks good for us.
“We’re going OK, but I think we can do better.”
Simpson declared star midfielder Luke Shuey (toe) and defender Brad Shepherd (corked thigh) as certain starters against the winless Blues.
But young midfielder Daniel Venables will miss up to three months with an ankle injury.
A spate of players have suffered leg injuries at the new $1.6 billion Optus Stadium this season, and Simpson fears the hardness of the surface may be a contributing factor.
Tests conducted show the hardness of the playing surface is within the safety realms stipulated by the AFL.
But it’s a situation Simpson will keep a close eye on.
“I don’t think we’ll let it go, because in the end the safety of our players is our No.1 priority,” Simpson said.
“I’m just aware of a couple of things with our playing group and the teams that play here, how they’re pulling it.
“It’s not to say it’s Optus Stadium’s fault but we’re pulling up a little bit sorer than we normally do.
“We’re just investigating why, and we let them know that’s happening.”
