Covid chaos has struck the Eagles for the second week in a row, as a depleted West Coast side travels to Marvel Stadium to face North Melbourne to kick off Sunday afternoon football. It’s a golden opportunity for the Roos to pick up their first win of 2022!
Jack Tobin has got you covered with a preview and tips below, and don’t forget to check our AFL Tips page for previews on every game of the 2022 AFL season.
North Melbourne vs West Coast Betting Tips
Marvel Stadium, Sunday 27th March, 1:10pm AEDT
North Melbourne
Injuries: Atu Bosenavulagi, Ben Cunnington, Matt McGuinness, Ben McKay, Will Phillips, Phoenix Spicer (Out)
North Melbourne regains Josh Walker (health & safety protocols), Jared Polec (ankle) and Kyron Hayden after their 20 point defeat to Hawthorn in Round One. Ben McKay misses with concussion, while David Noble has swung the axe, dropping Jaidyn Stephenson, Tom Powell and Callum Coleman-Jones.
North Melbourne’s three tall structure didn’t work last week, with the Roos kicking just three goals after halftime last week. The Roos have gone back to the combination of Xerri and Goldstien which performed strongly in pre-season, and will be set for a big afternoon against an Eagles outfit that will be lacking experienced talls.
The Kangaroos midfield showed glimpses against the Hawks, led by Jye Simpkin (29 disposals) and Luke Davies-Uniacke (27 disposals) however they’ll be looking for a greater spread across their entire midfield rotation.
West Coast
Injuries: Andrew Gaff, Oscar Allen, Campbell Chesser, Greg Clark, Tom Cole, Jamie Cripps, Tom Joyce, Dom Sheed, Connor West, Elliot Yeo (Out) Tom Barrass, Jack Redden, Zac Langdon, Josh Kennedy, Isiah Winder, Nic Naitanui, Josh Rotham, Jake Waterman, Jamaine Jones, Brady Hough, Harry Edwards and Hugh Dixon (Health & Safety Protocols)
It’s been another nightmare week for the Eagles, with thirteen changes to their Round One side leaving them with just eighteen fit players on their list. West Coast have called upon Stefan Giro, Angus Dewar, Brayden Ainsworth and Aaron Black from their top up list into their starting 22. Captain Luke Shuey, Liam Duggan, Liam Ryan and Jack Darling all come back into the side after injuries in the pre-season, but all will be severely underdone with next to no match practice.
It’s impossible to know what to expect from such a depleted side but coming up against the wooden spooners of last season, the Eagles will be desperate to keep the game competitive.
Match Prediction
This is a must win for North Melbourne, no ifs or buts about it. It’s a rare pressure for the Kangaroos, who will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing second half against the Hawks last week. The Roos defeated West Coast the last time these two sides met in a stirring victory in Perth, however it will be a very different looking game on Sunday afternoon.
It’s a great opportunity for North Melbourne’s emerging stars like Thomas, Zurhaar, Larkey and Davies-Uniacke to really grab a game by the scruff of the neck and dominate. This should be an easy win for the Kangaroos.
Wire 2 Wire (Lead at the end of every quarter)
North Melbourne W2W
$1.83 (1.5 Units)
Prop Bets
Aaron Hall picked up where he left off in 2021, with a 31 disposal performance in Round One. Hall averaged 28 disposals per game last season and reached the 30 disposal mark on thirteen occasions. Hall had tallies of 36, 38, 30 and 37 disposals in his last four games of the season, his role is perfect for racking up the footy.
Aaron Hall 30+ Disposals, Odds ($1.48 at Ladbrokes)
Nick Larkey finished 2021 on a tear, kicking three or more goals in four of the last seven games of 2021, including three goals against West Coast. With the amount of ball that will be heading inside North Melbourne’s forward 50, Larkey will have plenty of opportunities to hit the scoreboard.
Nick Larkey 3+ Goals, Odds ($1.90 at Ladbrokes)
After a slow start to 2021, Cameron Zurhaar kicked 28 goals from his last thirteen games. A fair effort in the worst team in the competition last season. Zurhaar has kicked six goals in his last three games against West Coast and he had eight shots on goal against the Eagles last season. Zurhaar is going to be a handful for the West Coast defence to contain.
Cameron Zurhaar 3+ Goals ($2.20 at Ladbrokes)
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