North Melbourne has taken the fight up to the powerhouse Cats in the teams' past two encounters. The Roos defeated Geelong in round three last year and then led by 41 points in round two this season before losing in the dying seconds. The second-placed Cats will be desperate to tighten their hold on a top-two spot, while North must win to keep its remote finals chances alive. Although it promises to be a hard-fought clash, the Cats should prove too strong for the Roos, who will sorely miss injured skipper Andrew Swallow in the midfield.
WHERE AND WHEN: Etihad Stadium, Friday August 2, 7.50pm?
TV, RADIO AND BETTING: Click here for broadcast guide
LAST FIVE TIMES
R2, 2013, Geelong 16.16 (112) d North Melbourne 17.6 (108) at Etihad Stadium
R3, 2012, North Melbourne 20.11 (131) d Geelong 16.18 (114) at Etihad Stadium
R7, 2011, Geelong 19.13 (127) d North Melbourne 9.7 (61) at Etihad Stadium
R14, 2010, Geelong 14.14 (98) d North Melbourne 9.9 (63) at Simonds Stadium
R8, 2009, Geelong 18.11 (119) d North Melbourne 7.7 (49) at Simonds Stadium
THE SIX POINTS
1. The Cats have dominated the Kangaroos recently, winning eight of their past nine matches.
2. The teams' recent rivalry at Etihad Stadium has been much more even, with the Cats and Roos splitting their previous eight clashes there.
3. North and Geelong are two of the highest scoring teams in 2013, with the Cats ranked second in average scores a game (111 points) and the Kangaroos fourth (106).
4. Geelong is averaging 58.2 inside 50s a game, the most of any team this season, while North is ranked (51.8 a game).
5. The Roos' average winning margin this season is 66 points a game, compared to their average losing margin of 13 points.
6. Geelong captain Joel Selwood is the highest ranked player of either team in the Official AFL Player Ratings at No. 3 overall. North's Brent Harvey and Daniel Wells are the next highest ranked players at No. 14 and 25 respectively.
