HEAD TO HEAD: West Coast 19 wins, North Melbourne 19 wins
LAST TIME: West Coast 14.10 (94) lost to North Melbourne 16.14 (110), round 21, 2010 at Patersons Stadium
TV: Fox Sports 1 - (Perth 4:00pm, Melbourne 7:00pm, Adelaide 6:30pm, Sydney/NSW 7:00pm, Brisbane/QLD 6:00pm); Channel 7 - (Perth 4:30pm, regional WA 5:00pm)
RADIO: Melbourne: ABC774, SEN 1116 Adelaide: ABC891 Perth: 6PR, ABC720 Hobart: ABC936 Darwin: ABC105.7
A full replay will be available on afl.com.au 12 hours after the completion of the match
BETFAIR ODDS: West Coast $1.69, North Melbourne $2.40
FORM: West Coast: N/A North Melbourne: N/A
SUMMARY
These two sides have had contrasting injury fortunes over the summer, with West Coast decidedly healthier on the eve of round one. Still, it remains hard to separate the two ahead of Sunday's clash at Patersons Stadium.
North Melbourne's best key defender, Nathan Grima (back), is pushing to return after one VFL hit-out, but ruckman Hamish McIntosh (Achilles), midfielder Ryan Bastinac (knee) and small forward Matt Campbell (hamstring) remain sidelined. The key omissions are a significant handicap on the road against a healthy West Coast.
The Eagles are confident Nic Naitanui (shoulder) will be available, with senior midfielder Adam Selwood (hamstring) and key defender Mitch Brown (shoulder) the only major concerns.
Coach John Worsfold has made necessary changes to his game plan over summer, following last year's wooden spoon, but all eyes will be on the club's young midfielders and whether or not their disposal efficiency has improved. Luke Shuey has been a shining light this pre-season, but his young teammates are yet to show the same progress.
North, after its ninth-place finish in 2010, will be hoping the return of ball-magnet Liam Anthony and promising young midfielder Jack Ziebell can counter the early-season injury concerns and lift the side into the top eight.
QUESTION MARKS
Can the Roos hold their own in the centre square without their No.1 ruckman? Dean Cox and Naitanui will be impossible for Todd Goldstein to break even against, putting the onus on the Roos ground-level players to generate some midfield momentum.
How will Brad Scott and Worsfold use their substitute players in the searing Perth heat? A maximum of 35 degrees is forecast, adding another level of intrigue to the new interchange rule.
What can the talented but under-achieving Ben McKinley produce against his old club if selected? Traded to North Melbourne last year after five seasons in Perth, the Roos will hope to see more urgency and consistency from the forward.
PREDICTION
West Coast by 12 points.
TOYOTA AFL DREAM TEAM WATCH
Former Dream Team golden boy Liam Anthony loves playing against West Coast, racking up scores of 114 and 115 in his two clashes against the Eagles. After a long-term shoulder injury ended his 2010 season, the West Australian midfielder returns this week at a ground that suits his hard-running, outside game. Highly-rated Kangaroos recruit Shaun Atley and West Coast draftee Jack Darling are the two youngsters most coaches will be banking on to perform.
Follow afl.com.au’s live coverage of the game in the AFL Match Centre, and join the conversation on Twitter using #afleaglesnorth
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
