The Kangaroos boast a strong record interstate, winning three of their four road trips, but the defeat at the hands of Adelaide a fortnight ago was a reality check.
The Lions have plenty to play for despite their lowly rank.
Teams
North Melbourne
Backs L.McDonald 21 S.Thompson 16 L.Hansen 6
Half Backs S.Atley 18 M.Firrito 11 A.Mullett 41
Centreline S.Gibson 43 A.Swallow 9 L.Greenwood 24
Half Forwards N.Dal Santo 15 A.Black 35 B.Harvey 29
Forwards B.Cunnington 10 D.Petrie 20 L.Thomas 12
Followers T.Goldstein 22 J.Ziebell 7 R.Bastinac 3
Interchange B.McKenzie 2 L.Adams 13 M.Warren 44 B.Brown 50
Emergencies L.Anthony 4 B.Jacobs 5 M.Daw 38
In: M.Warren
Out: R.Nahas (Shoulder)
Brisbane
Backs J.Clarke 42 M.Maguire 36 J.Patfull 24
Half Backs R.Harwood 2 D.McStay 25 J.Adcock 7
Centreline M.Paparone 22 T.Rockliff 38 S.Mayes 32
Half Forwards D.Zorko 15 J.Redden 30 L.Taylor 28
Forwards R.Bewick 8 M.Close 33 R.Lester 35
Followers S.Martin 12 D.Merrett 21 P.Hanley 11
Interchange J.Aish 4 J.Green 6 A.McGrath 9 C.Beams 17
Emergencies J.Crisp 5 J.Lisle 19 Z.O'Brien 47
In: A.McGrath , R.Lester , J.Aish , D.McStay
Out: D.Gardiner (rested) , N.Robertson (Omitted) , T.Cutler (Omitted) , Z.O'Brien (Omitted)
The Brown factor
Brisbane will come out fired up with the emotion of Jonathan Brown’s farewell sure to have an impact.
The challenge for North is to soak up the pressure early and not be overawed by the opposition. If the Kangaroos can handle the heat early, it’s sure to go a long way towards winning.
Talls vs smalls
North relies heavily on its talls going forward, with Drew Petrie, Ben Brown and Aaron Black forming a three-pronged attack.
The Lions have conceded the equal-most points of any team this year and Brad Scott will look to the big men to hit the scoreboard again.
Minus Robbie Nahas, Lindsay Thomas will have plenty of work to do at the fall of the ball but as one of the league’s best small forwards, it’s a challenge he’ll embrace.
At the other end, Brisbane has found great service from the trio labelled ‘The Mozzie Squad’. Josh Green, Dayne Zorko and Lewis Taylor have caused havoc for opposition defences, with their pace a constant threat.
The inclusion of Max Warren provides extra security at the back for the Roos.
To tag or not to tag?
In a losing side, Tom Rockliff’s performance against the Dockers was huge.
45 disposals, 13 clearances and 12 tackles are numbers even the greats of the game would be proud of but will North tag him?
Levi Greenwood is in remarkable form at the moment and it could be up to him to look to limit his impact and then punish the Lions’ on-baller going the other way.
The ruck duel
With Trent West and Matthew Leuenberger both injured, Stefan Martin has stepped up to the plate.
The big man has averaged 21 disposals and 28 hit-outs a game which are career-high numbers.
While he’s been amassing big hit-out tallies and providing first use to his midfielders, Todd Goldstein will need to work hard to limit his opponent’s space around the ground.
Capable of playing in the ruck, second-gamer Brown will need to give his team-mate a chop-out.
Contested ball
North smashed the Lions in the contest last time around and a similar effort in close will be expected.
Greenwood, Ziebell, Ben Cunnington and Nick Dal Santo all had 10 contested disposals or more in Round 9. Brisbane will take solace from the fact its three best in that category last week (Rockliff, Ryan Harwood and Sam Mayes) all missed the clash at Etihad Stadium.
Simply getting their hands on the ball was a challenge in itself for the Lions last time and setting the tone early will be vital.
The race for the eight
With fifth-placed Geelong and ninth-placed Essendon facing off the night before, a victory would see the Kangaroos either push up the ladder or move away from the chasing pack outside the eight.
While every game is important, this looms a must-win when considering North’s finals ambitions.
