North Melbourne v Port Adelaide  
Saturday, April 28
Etihad Stadium
First bounce: 2.10pm (AEST)
Gates open: 12.30pm (AEST)

Storyline

Although both teams are heading to Etihad Stadium in search of a win, North and Port are wanting victories for different reasons.

North is in red-hot form following back-to-back wins over Carlton and Hawthorn. The stingy backline featuring Scott Thompson and Robbie Tarrant continues to stand strong, while the dynamic forward-line of Brown, Waite and Ziebell has had no issue kicking a winning score

For Port Adelaide, it is looking to end a two-game losing streak, which consists of a loss to Essendon at Etihad Stadium. Injuries to some key Power stars have put them behind the eight ball, but they've proven they can still play winning football, given the Round 2 win over Sydney.

The six-day break for North paired with Port’s travel makes this a must-watch match.

Midfield depth tested

North will be without Shaun Higgins for at least the next week, following the serious concussion he suffered last Sunday against Hawthorn.

Despite missing a quarter and a half in Round 5, Higgins is still North’s second-highest disposal-getter, meaning North’s deep midfield will be forced to step up and fill the void.

Luke Davies-Uniacke will be one of those midfielders looking to help, with the first-round draft pick set to return after being rested last week.

Of course, Jack Ziebell may be able to spend more time in the midfield, but given the way North’s high-functioning forward-line has been working recently, Brad Scott and the coaches will be doing all they can to ensure the skipper spends as much time forward as possible.

Scott is likely to look to the likes of Trent Dumont and Jed Anderson to take their games to another level, while Jy Simpkin and Luke McDonald may be given more time in the middle to make an impact.

North’s midfield depth has been praised in the early parts of 2018, but a true test will come on Saturday afternoon.

Goldstein’s time To shine

Todd Goldstein has had his work cut out for him so far this season, competing against the likes of Jarrad Witts, Max Gawn, Matthew Kreuzer and Ben McEvoy.

However, he is set for a reprieve this weekend, with the 29-year-old set to ruck against a combination of Charlie Dixon, Justin Westhoff and Dougall Howard.

The calf injury to Paddy Ryder in Round 1 has left coach Ken Hinkley in an undesirable position, forcing him to share the load between the trio.

Goldstein has held his own against McEvoy and Kreuzer in the past two weeks, and got the better of Billy Longer in Round 2, proving that he still has plenty of good footy left in him.

So far this season we’ve seen the dominance a ruckman can have on a game, and if Goldstein can give first use to his teammates, anything’s possible.

Goals galore

With a forwardline of Ben Brown, Jarrad Waite and Jack Ziebell, it’s extremely unlikely there will be a shortage of goals this Saturday.

North has had no issue scoring under the roof this year, with totals of 95 and 98 in its two outings at Etihad Stadium.

The accuracy of Brown, who has kicked 19.4 through the first five rounds has significantly boosted North’s accuracy in front of goal, while contributions from the likes of Waite and Ziebell have also helped improve North’s offensive efficiency

Pace from the the likes of Billy Hartung, Jy Simpkin, Trent Dumont and Cameron Zurhaar, helps in transitioning the ball quickly from coast to coast, and give North’s forwards the best chance of winning one-on-one contests.

Port Adelaide team

B Riley Bonner, Tom Jonas, Dan Houston
HB Darcy Byrne-Jones, Jack Hombsch, Tom Clurey
C Karl Amon, Ollie Wines, Jared Polec
HF Travis Boak, Jack Watts, Chad Wingard
F Justin Westhoff, Charlie Dixon, Steven Motlop
FOL Dougal Howard, Brad Ebert, Robbie Gray
I/C Dom Barry, Sam Gray, Jake Neade, Aidyn Johnson
EMG Joe Atley, Jasper Pittard, Jack Trengove, Jimmy Toumpas
 
In: Dom Barry, Aidyn Johnson
Out: Hamish Hartlett (Injured), Lindsay Thomas (Suspension)

Burning Questions

Who does Ben Jacobs go to?
Jacobs has been one of the competitions biggest breakout players in 2018, successfully minimising the impact of some of the game’s best midfielders. This week, he’ll be put to work again, with a role on either Robbie Gray or Ollie Wines looming. Both midfielders average just shy of 30 disposals and are capable of winning a game off their own boot, which makes Jacobs’ job one of his biggest of the season.

How will Port Adelaide respond?
Port Adelaide return to the ground in which its two-game losing streak started a fortnight ago against Essendon. Following a disappointing loss just last week in front of their home crowd, the Power will be out for redemption, and there aren’t many better teams to get it against than the in-form Kangaroos.

How strong with the North contingent be?
After two confidence-boosting wins, the North faithful are as excited as ever by their side’s prospects each week. With another game at its home ground, this time in the family-friendly 2.10pm timeslot, expect to see a large number of North fans support their side as it looks to make it three in a row.