MATCH DETAILS

When: Saturday 5 October
Where: Arden Street Oval
First bounce: 1.05pm AEST
Admission: Buy tickets now
Membership: Sign up today
Broadcast: Fox Footy and Kayo Sports 

LAST MEETING

Round 10, 2023
Western Bulldogs 1.3 (9) def. by North Melbourne 7.13 (55)

North Melbourne flexed their muscles in the final round of the 2023 season, defeating the Dogs by 46 points in Pride Round. The Dogs were saved more scoreboard pain thanks to a gritty defensive performance from their backs, and North Melbourne's inaccuracy. Issy Grant (nine, eight) worked hard in an effort to minimise the impact of the Roos' talls, while Aurora Smith (five intercepts, nine disposals) was aggressive and creative out of the back half. Britney Gutknecht was the Dogs’ sole goal-scorer.

THE LINE-UP

Ins: Naomi Ferres, Analea McKee, Zimmie Farquharson
Outs: Jorja Borg (injured), Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner (managed), Elle Bennetts (managed)
New: Zimmie Farquharson (club debut)

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

– Gemma Bastiani, womens.afl

North Melbourne is dangerous, but in the wet its weapons are dulled. With rain forecast for Saturday, the Dogs will be out to make the Roos really work for every attacking attempt. With the weather, and the pressure that the Western Bulldogs have stamped as their trademark in recent weeks, they have the potential to take away some of North Melbourne's neat kicking and controlled game style.

What the Dogs have become very good at recently is capitalising on forward half turnovers, with speed both to generate the turnover, and in that attacking run after the fact. This will be more difficult against such a seasoned North Melbourne defence, that is averaging the fewest points against of any side this year, conceding just 20.3 points each game. At the other end of the ground, it is the Roos' small forwards who have really lifted their output this year, with both Bella Eddey and Alice O'Loughlin having career-best seasons. Tahlia Randall, Kate Shierlaw, and Emma King will get you in the air, and Eddey and O'Loughlin will get you on the deck.

North Melbourne has continued its undefeated season with a 55-point win over a young Western Bulldogs outfit in challenging weather conditions at Arden Street Oval. 

It was a game of two halves - the first was sunshine and blue skies and the second was grey clouds and rain - with Kangaroos adjusting best to the conditions to win 8.11 (59) to the Bulldogs’ 0.4 (4).

It was a closer affair than the scoresheet lets on, with the Bulldogs winning clearances and inside 50s in the first half. However, the young Dogs had difficulty turning these entries into scores, finishing without a goal from their 23 forward-50 entries.

The more experienced Kangaroos on the other hand were far more methodical. Their clean ball use allowed them to transition from end to end, often instigated by defenders Libby Birch and Tess Craven.

Once the Kangaroos turned the ball over in the Bulldogs' forward half, they shifted the ball from defence to offence with ease and pace. The fast ball movement allowed multiple North forwards to get separation from their opponents ahead of the ball, creating a plethora of options for Kangaroos mids when looking to hit a target inside 50.

The Kangaroos finished the first half with nine scoring shots, but only three goals - one each to Niamh Martin, Emma King and Tahlia Randall.

The rain began pelting down in the second half making for challenging conditions for all involved. North adjusted best to the wet weather, with Jas Garner - who had had a quiet first half to her lofty standards - kicking the first two goals of the second half. 

Things got worse for the Bulldogs when they found themselves two players down on the bench after captain Deanna Berry left the ground due to illness and Lauren Ahrens sustaining a foot injury, with neither returning to the game.

Garner (19 disposals, two goals) and Ash Riddell (25 disposals, five inside 50s) both lifted for their side, winning clearances and therefore inside 50s, with the Kangaroos finishing +6 for inside 50s in the third term. 

The Kangaroos added to their score in the final term with a second goal to Martin, and a goal on the siren to Ash Riddell extending their total to win by 55 points.

Work in progress
There were plenty of promising signs for the young Bulldogs side today. At half-time, the Bulldogs were leading North Melbourne in clearances inside 50. The next step for the Dogs is to turn these opportunities into scores, but coach Tam Hyett will be able to find plenty of positives from the Dogs’ first half.

Wet weather Kangas
North has found itself playing in some extreme wet weather so far this season - firstly against Port Adelaide at Whitten Oval in week four and last week against the Tigers in Launceston. Today’s match was a game of two halves. The first half the sun was shining and at half time the rain began to pour down, making for tricky conditions once again for the Roos.

Up next
North Melbourne has an eight-day break before it plays Sydney at North Hobart Oval next Sunday, whilst the Bulldogs face Essendon next Friday night under lights at Whitten Oval.

NORTH MELBOURNE        2.5    3.6    6.8    8.11 (59)
WESTERN BULLDOGS       0.2    0.4    0.4    0.4 (4)

GOALS
North Melbourne: Garner 2, E.King 2, Martin 2, Randall, Riddell
Western Bulldogs: Nil

BEST
North Melbourne: Birch, Craven, Randall, Garner, Riddell
Western Bulldogs: Pritchard, Fitzgerald, Gorham, Edmonds, Hartwig

INJURIES
North Melbourne: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Berry (illness), Ahrens (foot)

Reports: Nil

Crowd: 2,457 at Arden St