Who: Carlton v North Melbourne 
Where and when: Sunday May 28, Etihad Stadium, 3.20pm EST
TV and radio: Broadcast guide 
Tickets: Purchase tickets

Storyline

Both sides go into Sunday’s match with three wins and six losses, a record remarkably shared by six teams between 12^th and 17^th.

That fact alone illustrates the importance of a victory, with just two wins separating sixth on the table (Port Adelaide) from second-last (Hawthorn).

North is coming off an impressive win against Melbourne, in which it was able to respond to physicality and several surges from the opposition.

Carlton led at quarter and half-time against the Dockers in the wet at Domain Stadium, but as injuries took their toll, booted just two goals in the second half.

The teams last met in Round 9 last year, with the circumstances far different; North had won its first eight games and smashed the Blues by 67 points.

Hot topics

Hitting the scoreboard

The teams are at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to scoring; North sits sixth for points scored (94.77 points per game), while the Blues are 18^th (70.22).

Defensively, the Roos are 16^th (conceding 100 points per game), while the Blues are eighth (90).

Carlton will be desperate to turn the game into a low-scoring affair, while it’s no coincidence North has won three of the four games in which its forwards have turned it on and tallied over 100 points.

The ruck battle

Todd Goldstein was dominant when the teams met in 2016, but there was one key element missing, Matthew Kreuzer.

Kreuzer missed just one game last year, against North, and will be desperate to make an impact on Sunday.

While he was well beaten by Aaron Sandilands in the hit-outs (39-26), the Blues’ number eight had close to a career-high 22 disposals on the weekend. 

Goldstein was just as impressive against Melbourne, with 17 disposals and 61 hit-outs, making for a great duel back at Etihad.

Etihad advantage?

North boasts an impressive record against Carlton at Etihad, having won 12 of 17 clashes between the two sides.

The Roos have won the teams’ last two fixtures by a combined 131 points.

Sunday’s game is the Blues’ home game, but North will no doubt take in confidence at a ground it plays at so regularly. 

The burning questions

Does North tag?

Sam Gibson played a vital role against Rory Sloane just three weeks ago – does a similar job loom against in-form Blues’ midfielder Marc Murphy? 

Who goes to Ben Brown?

North’s number 50 has booted bags of six and five in the past month, and with Sam Rowe out (knee), who gets the job?

The likes of Alex Silvagni and Caleb Marchbank could be called upon for key roles, with Jarrad Waite also looming large.

Will North go tall?

Braydon Preuss has been named in the Roos’ 25-man squad – will Brad Scott and the Roos’ match committee look to stretch the Blues with height? 

Squads

Carlton

Backs L.Plowman 20 A.Silvagni 44 S.Docherty 15
Half Backs K.Simpson 6  C.Marchbank 22 E.Curnow 35
Centreline T. Williamson 31 P.Cripps 9 B.Gibbs 4
Half Forwards C.Curnow 30 J.Weitering 23 M.Wright 46
Forwards Z.Fisher 25, L.Casboult 41 J.Silvagni 1
Followers M.Kreuzer 8 S. Petrevski-Seton 5 M. Murphy 3
Interchange From D.Cuningham 28 N.Graham 32 L.Sumner 19 S.White 43 H.Macreadie 26 B.Smedts 16 A.Phillips 34
 
In: S. White, B. Smedts, L. Sumner, A. Phillips, H. Macreadie
Out: D. Thomas (injured), S. Rowe (knee)

North Melbourne

Backs M.Williams 2 R.Tarrant 25 E.Vickers-Willis 33
Half Backs L.Hansen 6 S.Thompson 16 J.Macmillan 34
Centreline S.Gibson 43 B.Cunnington 10 A.Mullett 17
Half Forwards K.Turner 28 J.Waite 30 T.Garner 27
Forwards N.Hrovat 8 B.Brown 50 M.Wood 32
Followers T.Goldstein 22 J.Ziebell 7 S.Higgins 4
Interchange From J.Anderson 3 A.Swallow 9 L.McDonald 11 R.Clarke 13 T.Dumont 14 S.Atley 18 B.Preuss 31

In: J.Anderson, T.Dumont, B.Preuss