AFL round 15: Nathan Buckley previews Super Saturday on Fox Footy

Carlton started the year in the premiership conversation. Four months later, the Blues’ season could be over by Saturday evening. Nathan Buckley previews Super Saturday.

Carlton has entered must-win territory with its faint finals hopes on the line on Saturday when it hosts North Melbourne.

A win for the Roos will leave Michael Voss and his side under immense pressure.

It’s a similar story for Port Adelaide and Sydney with their finals hopes in limbo, before St Kilda will get its chance to respond to Craig McRae’s tag jibe on Saturday night.

Nathan Buckley previews Super Saturday.

Tom De Koning and the Blues dominated North Melbourne on Good Friday. Picture: Michael Klein

CARLTON V NORTH MELBOURNE – 1.20PM AT MCG

● North Melbourne entered the Good Friday fixture against Carlton with high expectations and failed to fire. They were five goals down by quarter time and when the floodgates opened late, Carlton kicked nine goals in the final term (one of only four last quarter wins this season). The final margin was 82 points. The stakes are high for the Kangaroos as they have made great strides both in their results and in their process in the last eight rounds. They meet a Carlton team with talented players unavailable which on the surface looks an opportunity for the Kangaroos to step up.

● If Carlton has designs on finals this year, this is a must-win game. The Blues’ percentage stacks up with the Giants, but they are two games behind them (with a game in hand). While games against the competition’s bottom 4 sides have often been a chance for the Blues to fill their boots, this game looms as a challenge they need to meet — and pass — to stay in the hunt.

● Michael Voss and the Carlton coaching group made a strong call on Mitch McGovern a few weeks back and he is entrenched in a forward role that is more important now than ever. With Harry McKay out and Brodie Kemp injured, the Blues hierarchy are hoping that McGovern’s aerial threat can do some damage and that their back six can cover for his strong use and improve their reliability in the contest behind the ball.

● In North’s improved recent performances, a few of their early draft picks have shone. Colby McKercher has benefited from a return to his running back role and is relishing finding the ball in his hands more often. With another preseason under his belt, he is displaying more consistent speed and power from the back which has allowed him an extra step of space to make great decisions with the ball. It all looks to be tracking the right way for him and the team.

FAST FACT: A rare trip to the MCG for North Melbourne, it’s just the second of three games the Roos will play there in 2025. North Melbourne hasn’t played Carlton at the home of footy since round 3, 2004.

Port Adelaide and Sydney are trying to stay in touch with the top eight.

PORT ADELAIDE V SYDNEY – 4.15PM AT ADELAIDE OVAL

● With the magnets of Errol Gulden and Tom Papley returning to the Sydney line-up the team on paper looks as stacked as it has all season. These ins cannot be underrated given the skill, class and polish of Gulden and the competitive energy and constant scoring threat that Papley offers. The Swans have put themselves well and truly behind the eight-ball but as we have seen in previous seasons when all seems lost for a quality team, the shackles come off and they are freed up to just play. Maybe this will be the Swans in the back half of this season.

● Mitch Georgiades has been a consistent threat for the Power this year. His performance last week against Daniel Turner initially, and then Steven May late, beat both players by exposing them in areas that they could defend … … speed and smarts against May and aerial power and strength against Turner. All in all, it showcased the challenge that Georgiades provides opposition defenders. He grassed a few gilt-edged marking chances inside 50 and had an inconsistent day in terms of his set-shot routine as well. He had to “settle” for seven goals, but it could have been a really big bag.

● The Power are two for two since their bye and would perceive that they have a few more very winnable games to maintain and reinforce their mid-season momentum. When Zak Butters, Connor Rozee and Jason Horne-Francis are doing their thing in various roles all over the ground, the Power becomes a whole different challenge. Add to that mix the form of Miles Bergman as a run-with midfielder and the hurt factor only increases. Bergman’s initial man-focus at the contest is natural, given the grounding he gathered as a defender. From there his ability to choose the right time to leave his man and get involved in ball winning and rebounding was first class against Christian Petracca last week. Add to that his effectiveness with Inside 50 connection and he could well turn the Power’s Three Musketeers into an awesome foursome!

●Joel Amartey and Aaron Francis have a big challenge ahead of them against Port Adelaide’s intercept marker Esava Ratugolea, even without Aliir Aliir. Ratugolea had eight intercept marks last week, which was his best return, and it made him only the sixth Port Adelaide to have eight or more in a game.

FAST FACT: The Power have had the wood over the Swans in recent years, winning nine of the last 10 match ups. Sydney is 0-5 against Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval since round 2, 2015.

Nick Daicos can expect plenty of attention when Collingwood takes on St Kilda. Picture: Michael Klein

COLLINGWOOD V ST KILDA – 7.35PM AT MARVEL STADIUM

● It has fast become one of the most damaging roles in footy … the rebounding half back with razor sharp delivery, capable of setting up counter attacks. Collingwood and St Kilda have two jets playing the role right now. Josh Daicos is averaging 27.7 disposals per game – his best return – which is ranked sixth in the AFL for general defenders, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is a metres-gained weapon – fourth in the AFL – and his run and carry can be measured by the fact that no one bounces the ball more than he does in a game.

●Isaac Quaynor’s running power has been on full display in recent weeks. In a post match interview a few weeks back Quaynor shared a shift in his pre-match diet and a greater consumption of carbohydrates through pasta leading into the games. The result has been a player who flushes through handball-receive opportunities off half back, creating and disrupting opposition defences in the process. He doesn’t always receive the ball but his hard run is creating space for him and his teammates which provides even greater drive out of the back half for the Pies.

●Ross Lyon has always valued taggers – think Steven Baker, Clinton Jones and Ryan Crowley. He has relied heavily on Marcus Windhager in the role this season with success, even when the Saints have been losing. So Nick Daicos knows exactly what is coming on Saturday night. Breaking the ‘Marcus Magnet’ won’t be easy. He has already had a negating impact on the likes of Bont, Kosi Pickett and Max Holmes so far this year. What Nick must do is to ensure his opponent doesn’t hurt the Magpies going the other way, which he has at times this year

● The Saints’ offensive plans are crucial if they want to cause an upset … they need to be prepared to take the game on. Geelong’s straight-line offence and go-forward mentality provided opposition clubs with the prototype earlier this year to prevent the Pies from getting into shape on slow play and challenging their last line defenders as often as possible. But having the template, and actually making it work, can be two different things.

FAST FACT: It’s a Collingwood home game, on St Kilda’s home deck, where the Magpies have won five of their past six against the Saints.

Originally published as AFL round 15: Nathan Buckley previews Super Saturday on Fox Footy