North Melbourne v Melbourne
Sunday, May 2 - 1.10pm
Blundstone Arena 
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After 18 months away, North Melbourne returns to Tasmania this weekend, heading to Blundstone Arena to take on a Melbourne side that is on fire. 

After a difficult 0-6 start to the season, North sits bottom of the ladder, still working and searching for its first win, however the availability of Charlie Lazzaro and Aaron Hall could offer a boost to the home side.

Sitting second, Melbourne is one of two sides which is still unbeaten in 2021 and is surpassing all pre-season expectations set on it by the watching world.

Former Kangaroo Ben Brown will make his debut in his home state, as he comes into a firing forward-line, led by Kysaiah Pickett and Bayley Fritsch.

Last time we met

Round 11, 2020
 
Melbourne came out on top at the Adelaide Oval in the last meeting of the two sides, with the Demons proving too strong as they won by 57-points.

Nick Larkey booted 4 goals for North, while Luke McDonald registered a game-high 33 disposals and Trent Dumont impressed with 27 touches and 6 clearances.

Melbourne produced a great team performance as it had 11 different goalkickers on the day, while Christian Petracca racked up 29 disposals and a goal in a strong performance.

The matchup

Todd Goldstein v Max Gawn
One of the great ruck duels of the modern era will have another chapter written in Round 7, as Todd Goldstein and Max Gawn prepare to lock horns once again.

With one of the two present in five of the last six All-Australian teams, the debate of which player is superior has raged for more than half a decade.

Last time they played each other, Gawn won the battle but North won the war, as the Kangaroos held on to win by five-points in the final round of 2019.

Gawn booted 3 goals to supplement his 26-disposals, 10 clearances and 41 hitouts in what was a best-on-ground performance.

With the on-field rivalry these two players share, another high-quality, intense battle is almost a certainty.

The key men

Nick Larkey and Ben Brown
A former forward partnership will be reunited on Sunday, but on opposite sides of the ground.

Ben Brown debuting against his old club in his hometown is one of the storylines of the AFL season so far, however he will have to deal with one of the most improved key defenders in the competition, Ben McKay, if the new Demon wants to make it a happy homecoming.

Brown played 130 games for North and played a large role in the development of his opposite number, Larkey.

Larkey is currently leading North’s goal-kicking charts with 8 for the season, having stepped into the role of primary forward target in 2021 and he is improving every week.

As the main men up forward for their respective sides, Larkey and Brown will be crucial in deciding which team comes out on top.

The stat

Although this is a new-look North Mside, Blundstone Arena holds many happy memories for the team in royal-blue and white.
 
North has played 22 games in Hobart over the years and currently possesses a 16-6 record.
 
Across those games, North has scored over 100 points on ten occasions, whilst conceding over 100 points only three times.
 
North is struggling for form at the moment, but a return to fortress Blundstone may just help to turn the clash in the home side’s favour.

Melbourne has maintained its unbeaten start to the season and moved to the top of the ladder after surviving a fright from North Melbourne in a 30-point victory at Blundstone Arena on Sunday. 

It looked like a huge upset was on the cards when the Kangaroos led their more-fancied opponents by 19 points at half-time, but the 2021 version of the Demons are made of sterner stuff and upped the ante after the main break to register the 16.7 (103) to 11.7 (73) triumph.

Experienced midfielder Ben Cunnington was at his best in a performance that netted 34 touches, eight clearances and two goals.

Running defender Aaron Hall also picked up 34 touches, while Jy Simpkin (30) and Kayne Turner (27) also impressed in an entertaining midfield battle.

The class of Cunnington and Hall had the winless Kangaroos on the front foot early and with Tom Campbell enjoying some freedom up forward to boot two opening-quarter goals, it was North Melbourne by five points at the first break.

Nick Larkey got in on the act with two majors of his own in the second term and the margin grew to 19 at the half as the thought of an upset looked more than a live chance.

But Jackson and Salem helped turn the game in the third quarter, with Fritsch and Pickett cashing in to ensure the Demons claimed the lead and held a 13-point advantage at the final break.

Cunnington snapped his second early in the final term to give the Kangas some hope, but the Demons' class shone through as the League leaders maintained their poise to make it seven straight.

NORTH MELBOURNE    4.1       9.5       10.6     11.7 (73) 
MELBOURNE                    3.2       6.4       12.7       16.7 (103) 

GOALS 
North Melbourne: Larkey 2, Campebell 2, Cunnington 2, Zurhaar, Mahony, Atley, Simpkin, Powell
Melbourne: Fritsch 6, Pickett 3, Brown 2, Langdon, Jackson, Spargo, Jordan, Oliver

BEST 
North Melbourne: Cunnington, Hall, Powell, McKay, Turner, Simpkin  
Melbourne: Fritsch, Jackson, Salem, May, Pickett, Petracca

INJURIES 

North Melbourne: Bonar (corked thigh) 
Melbourne: Tomlinson (knee) 

SUBSTITUTES 
North Melbourne: Menadue (replaced Bonar) 
Melbourne: Jones (replaced Tomlinson)
Crowd: TBC at Blundstone Arena