Win the contested ball, win the game
At least that’s what most coaches think, including Brad Scott.
Speaking to media on Wednesday, Scott recalled the sides’ round 22 clash last season where the Roos won the game in the air, but lost it on the ground.
The stats back this up; the Bulldogs had 16 more contested possessions, the Roos 29 more marks, but it was Beveridge’s boys that took away the all-important W.
The two teams sit third and fifth respectively in this space, so it will certainly be one area of the ground to keep an eye on.
Talls v smalls
North Melbourne boast some impressive tall timber down forward in Drew Petrie, Ben Brown and Jared Waite, but is it too simplistic to say that the Roos’ will simply overpower the Bulldogs smaller back line? We say yes.
Even as the injury toll has mounted, the Bulldogs are holding their opponents to a measly 56.6 points a contest.
Even without Murphy, Johannisen and Suckling on deck, you can be sure that Luke Beveridge will be backing his system to get the job done on Friday night.
Shootout or slogfest?
When top spot is up for grabs, the spoils of victory usually ensure an exciting contest even if on the field it becomes a bit of a slog.
However, with the 5-0 Kangaroos averaging 122.2 points a game coming up against a Bulldog outfit lauded for playing exciting footy, could we be in for an old-fashioned shootout?
Hate to spoil the party, but we should mention that 56.6 figure again. While the Dogs have the League’s highest winning average margin at 52.8 points per game, it’s built on the League’s stingiest defence.
No Quarter
The Bulldogs are yet to lose a second quarter in season 2016 whereas North Melbourne have won just the two, putting them in the company of Richmond, Melbourne and St. Kilda.
Also, North Melbourne’s average winning margin of 23.6 is the smallest of the sides currently sitting in the top 4 by a significant margin.
What does it mean? While a four-quarter effort will be needed to ultimately get over the line, Luke Beveridge will be hoping his men shop early, providing enough of a buffer to topple the ladder-leaders.
