Preview Round 5: Collingwood v North Melbourne

Sportal
 

Collingwood v North Melbourne Saturday April 19, 1.40pm MCG Fox Footy 1.30pm Weather: Min 11 Max 17 Chance of rain 40%: 1-5mm Wind: W 21kph Betting: Collingwood 1.85 North Melbourne 1.95

Why watch?
Both clubs are coming off valuable wins and a victory for either side would be a huge boost to their self belief. Footy at the MCG in the traditional Saturday afternoon timeslot…. There should be more of it. 

Match notes

• Heritier Lumumba set to join the AFL 200 Club. (183 AFL matches plus 17 preseason games)
• Brent Harvey (367) is set to move into outright seventh ahead of Bernie Quinlan for the most AFL games ever
• A win could see North Melbourne replace either Port Adelaide or West Coast in the top four
• A Collingwood victory would likely have the Pies in the top eight for the first time in 2014
  

Say what?
Nathan Buckley will not instruct Brent Macaffer to refine the way he carries out his run-with jobs, saying he did a perfect job against Trent Cotchin last week. "I've been on the receiving end of taggers my whole (playing) career – the time they have the most influence is when you stop getting to the next contest and you worry about them and then it becomes a bit of a wrestle," the Pies coach said. Could in-form Macaffer set his sights on Roos match-winner Brent Harvey?

Last 5 games (includes 2013 season)
Collingwood

• L 24 Port Adelaide
• L 70 Fremantle
• W 20 Sydney
• L 11 Geelong
• W 38 Richmond

North Melbourne

• W 11 Collingwood
• L 39 Essendon
• W 29 Western Bulldogs
• W 7 Port Adelaide
• W 43 Sydney

Last 5 between clubs
North-Coll-North-Coll-Coll 

Cold hard fact
History says Collingwood has the wood over North Melbourne, winning 103 games to 50, with two draws. However the Roos do fare better against the Pies at the MCG, with 14 wins and 12 losses at the home of football.

Final word
With Andrew Swallow still weeks away from a return, the Roos will need young onballers Ben Cunnington and Ryan Bastinac to step up to the plate. But when you consider Scott Pendlebury, Dayne Beams and Dane Swan are all fit and firing, it's hard to see how North can win the midfield battle. And that's going to be a telling factor in what shapes as a close matchup. We're tipping Collingwood to win by 15 points.