SUMMARY
Greater Western Sydney's injury crisis has dealt the club a serious blow, with the Giants losing four big names for their clash with the Kangaroos. By far the biggest is the season-ending ankle injury for ruckman Shane Mumford, but with key defenders Joel Patfull and co-captain Phil Davis, plus midfielder Stephen Coniglio also gone, the home side's depth will be tested. North will be desperate for the four points to keep in touch with the top eight, with big man Todd Goldstein no doubt licking his lips at the prospect of taking on GWS without its number one ruckman.
WHERE AND WHEN: Spotless Stadium, Saturday 4.35pm AEST
TV AND RADIO: Click here for the broadcast guide
LAST FOUR TIMES
R20, 2014, North Melbourne 19.12 (126) d Greater Western Sydney 7.9 (51) at StarTrack Oval
R14, 2013, North Melbourne 19.16 (130) d Greater Western Sydney 6.8 (44) at Etihad Stadium
R23, 2012, North Melbourne 16.9 (105) d Greater Western Sydney 11.11 (77) at Spotless Stadium
R2, 2012, North Melbourne 28.15 (183) d Greater Western Sydney 8.6 (54) at Blundstone Arena
THE SIX POINTS
1. The Kangaroos thrashed the Giants last season at StarTrack Oval, racking up 31 scoring shots to 16 and winning the inside 50s with a dominant 55 to 34. Big forward Drew Petrie booted five goals.
2. The Giants have been off target in front of goal this season; they're ranked last for accuracy with 146 goals, 147 behinds at 46.6%.
3. The four contests between the sides so far haven’t been close, with North Melbourne winning all four games by 129, 28, 86 and 75 points.
4. The Kangaroos haven’t performed well interstate recently; apart from their 'home' games at Blundstone Arena in Tasmania, they have lost their past three by more than 70 points.
5. The Giants are ranked second for handballs with 178.4 per game, while the Kangaroos are seventh with 160 per game.
6. Giants midfielder Dylan Shiel is a star on the rise, he started the season 122nd on the AFL's official player ratings, but is now ranked 54th.
IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR … Jeremy Cameron
The star forward had a dark day against the Pies last week and needs to lift his impact for the Giants to have any chance of toppling the Kangas. Doesn't need a bag of goals necessarily, but has to be more involved in the game if things aren't going his way, especially now with GWS missing so many stars.
PREDICTION: North Melbourne by 17 points
