Head to head: Collingwood 99 wins, North Melbourne 48 wins, two draws
Last time: Collingwood 19.13 (127) d North Melbourne 11.9 (75), round 6, 2009 at Etihad Stadium
MISSING IN ACTION
Collingwood
Anthony Corrie (knee) - test
Brad Dick (shoulder) - test
Ben Sinclair (concussion) - test
Josh Fraser (knee) - test
Sean Rusling (calf) - 1-2 weeks
John McCarthy (hamstring) - 2-3 weeks
Tristan Francis (quad) - 2-3 weeks
North Melbourne
Ben Ross (hip) - TBC
Ben Speight (broken jaw) - TBC
Matt Campbell (ankle) - 2-3 weeks
Drew Petrie (foot) - 2-3 weeks
Gavin Urquhart (knee) - 2 weeks
FORM
Collingwood: WLWWW
North Melbourne: LWLWW
SUMMARY
Collingwood is the real deal. Its only loss not only came against fellow flag contender St Kilda, but also on the back of some woeful kicking in front of the sticks. Since that night, the Pies have steamrolled all before them. Huge wins over Hawthorn, Essendon on Anzac Day and most recently Carlton has seen their premiership odds continue to shorten. Mick Malthouse’s side is young, its mid-tier players from 2009 seem to have improved, while Darren Jolly and Luke Ball have added what the Pies hoped they would.
After a disappointing start to the year, North Melbourne has got better and better. It seems Brad Scott has his young team playing the way he wants, while his men’s attack n the footy cannot be questioned. North’s win over West Coast wasn’t anything to write home about, but a good effort against the Swans has been followed by a gutsy win over the Hawks, and their best win yet of the year - last week’s convincing job on Melbourne. Most lines seem pretty well in order for the Kangas, who are a team on the rise. With Drew Petrie yet to return, there are things to look forward to at Arden Street.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Sharrod Wellingham very nearly found himself at Arden Street late last year. Former Pies midfield coach Brad Scott was keen and Wellingham loomed as the most likely trade bait as Collingwood searched for a way to gain Luke Ball. But the Pies midfielder stayed put, and hasn’t looked back. He’s been superb this season, collecting at least 20 touches in every match and averaging a goal a game.
Big things have always been expected of Daniel Wells, and this year he may well just be delivering on the expectation. On a couple of occasions the now injury-free Wells has threatened to grab a game by the scruff of the neck. He doesn’t need to have big numbers to have a big influence on a match, but he has 19, 20 and 24 disposals in the past three weeks - as well as booting multiple goals in all of those games.
QUESTION MARKS
It should be an intriguing battle off the field this week. Brad Scott sat in the coaches’ box with Mick Malthouse before winning a seat in the hot chair himself, but just how well did he get to know the wily veteran’s moves?
David Hale can be a whipping boy for North fans. On Saturday night he is likely to be guarded by one of the best in the business, with Simon Prestigiacomo set to return. Can the big Kangaroo get the monkey off his back by kicking a bag and leading his team to an unlikely victory?
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
It’s tough to see the Kangas getting home. Collingwood has more experience, bigger bodies and is in terrific form. Brad Scott will have been going over his match-ups for this one almost since the day he got the job at Arden Street and will be confident in his men, but are they up to it? The Pies look to have gone to a new level in 2010, and despite whatever improvements North has made, the fact is it is still a young side, starting its own journey under Scott. They may give a sight early on, but strength, class and experience is likely to win out in the end.
PREDICTION
Collingwood by 46 points
Follow Cam Noakes’s inside view of Collingwood v North Melbourne at #aflpieskangas on Twitter.com from 7.10pm (EST) Saturday or @AFL_CamNoakes#aflpieskangas
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
