Sunday afternoon football kicks off at Marvel Stadium as North Melbourne hosts Hawthorn from 1:10pm. Both teams will be desperate to end their losing streaks in what looms as a golden opportunity for a rare win.
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AFL Round 18 Preview & Betting Tips
Hawthorn vs North Melbourne
Sunday 1:10pm AEST, July 16th, Marvel Stadium
North Melbourne’s losing streak extended to fourteen games after a 62 point defeat to Geelong in Round 17. The loss was further compounded by injuries to Griffin Logue (knee), Jye Simpkin (concussion) and Flynn Perez (knee). The Roos have brought George Wardlaw, Curtis Taylor, Daniel Howe, Jackson Archer, Liam Shiels and Josh Goater into Sunday’s extended squad.
Selection news is much more positive for the Hawks who will get skipper James Sicily and Luke Bruest back into the side for Sunday’s clash, with James Blanck (concussion) the only confirmed omission.
Hawthorn suffered their third straight loss against the Giants, although in a far more competitive manner than their previous fortnight where they were beaten by 60 & 67 points.
Hawthorn and North Melbourne occupy sixteenth and seventeenth positions on the ladder, and their struggles this season can easily be highlighted by their performances at both ends of the ground. Hawthorn ranks 17th in points for, and 16th in points against. North Melbourne ranks 16th in points for and 17th in points against.
Hawthorn’s defence will be boosted by James Sicily’s return, with the Hawks 0-4 in the four games he has missed this season. Sicily will provide structure to a Hawthorn defence that has leaked an abundance of scores over the last three weeks, but more importantly his intercepting game will provide an opportunity for the Hawks to launch their attacking game.
Hawthorn’s Round 3 victory against the Roos was built on dominating at the coal face. The Hawks won the contested possession battle by 19, which led to a +19 advantage in clearances and a +19 advantage in inside 50’s. Although the Hawks struggled to convert in front of goal, 42% of their inside 50’s resulted in scores.
The Kangaroos have been smashed in the middle of the ground in the last fortnight recording a combined -48 inside 50’s, -24 clearances and -21 contested possessions. Their underperforming midfield has been a large part in why they’ve lost their last two games by ten goals, and without Jye Simpkin it’s only going to get tougher for the Roos.
North Melbourne’s fourteen consecutive losses have come by an average margin of 40 points, if the Hawks get on top in the midfield, the -17.5 line won’t prove any troubles.
Hawthorn -17.5
$1.90 (1.5 Units)
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James Sicily 25+ Disposals: The Hawks skipper will be out for a big performance after missing the last three weeks. Before his suspension Sicily was on a tear recording 27, 30, 43 and 32 disposals in his previous four games. Sicily racked up 27 disposals against the Roos earlier this season.
Jai Newcombe 25+ Disposals: After a quiet fortnight, Jai Newcombe was back to his best against the Giants picking up 28 disposals. Newcombe has produced some of his best performances at Marvel Stadium averaging 27 disposals per game at the venue this season. Against a struggling North midfield, Newcombe is set for another big game.
Luke Davies-Uniacke 25+ Disposals: With Jye Simpkin out of the side, Luke Davies-Uniacke will have to carry the load for the Roos in the midfield. LDU has loved playing against the Hawks, picking up 30 and 27 disposals in his last two games against Hawthorn.
Same Game Multi Odds: $3.50
