North Melbourne v Crows: Three reasons one versus two will the match of round five

As the Adelaide Crows fly to Melbourne to play the Kangaroos, we talk to both head coaches to get the inside running on where the game will be won or lost

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There’s the midfield, the ruck and accuracy in front of goal: the three areas where one versus two will live up to its billing as the match of AFLW round five.

North Melbourne — one — are undefeated. And Adelaide — two — are on a three-game winning streak. And with the number of high-profile players running around for both Conference A teams this afternoon, it’s no wonder some are considering the game a dress rehearsal for finals.

The midfield:

Kangaroos head coach Scott Gowans said the midfield battle would be interesting, with Erin Phillips (AFLW’s 2017 best and fairest) coming up against Emma Kearney (AFLW’s 2018 best and fairest).

“My philosophy is not to tag, I don’t like it unless you’re tactically in trouble in the game,” Gowans said.

“I like going talent versus talent and so Phillips at some stage at the centre bounce will be around Kearney, which will be really exciting to watch the two of them go at it.

“I think too, it’s one of those match ups — and I don’t know how Clarkey (Crows coach Matthew Clarke) will do it — but I like the fact that yes, Phillips will hurt us at some point in the midfield, but Kearney will hurt Adelaide as well.

Kangaroos Coach Scott Gowans talks to his players during the round three AFLW match between North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs on February 15, 2019 in Launceston. Picture: Graham Denholm/Getty Images

“If you run with a negative person, you’re going 15 versus 16, so I think you may as well get something out of the opposition’s best players.”

Clarke agreed: “Both teams are balanced and that’s what will make it such a great game.

“It’s not purely about the midfield battle, ahead of the ball they’re really strong, behind the ball they’re really strong.

“I’m sure that North will win their fair share of stoppage and so will we and therefore those next contests become the critical ones. They’ve got talent everywhere, but equally we back ourselves in.”

The ruck:

This will be an interesting battle, considering the Crows lost their first two rucks through pre-season injury and North Melbourne’s Emma King has been doing her most damage as a strong, key forward.

Clarke said he rated the star Kangaroo highly.

“She’s got amazing ruck skill as well, but they’ve been using her on balance more forward than in the ruck, so (Kate) Gillespie-Jones is their ruck a fair bit of the time and she’s been pretty good for them as well. All of those will have good contests (with Crow Jess Foley).”

But Gowans seemed to suggest that King would spend more time in the ruck than Clarke was expecting, considering that as she stands at 186cm, she will be the tallest player on the field.

“We think we can get first hands on the ball with King playing in the ruck and that’s a tactic we think we’ll go in,” he said.

Adelaide Crows AFLW coach Matthew Clarke during the round three match between the Adelaide Crows and the Geelong Cats on Sunday, February 17, 2019. Picture: AAP Image/Sam Wundke

Goal-scoring:

But Gowans also expects this to be a high-scoring shootout.

“I said to the girls at training the other night; it’s not a matter of us matching up with them, it’s actually about let’s play our footy and let them play their footy and let’s see where we end up,” he said.

“What we try and do — and it didn’t happen last weekend against Melbourne — we try and move the ball quickly and we want to be a high-scoring team.

“So we’re happy to get into a shootout with a side. Nine goals to eight and we win? I’m happy with that.”

The Crows — who have twice this season kicked 11 behinds in a game — won’t be terrified of a shootout, but Clarke did suggest he hoped to see some marginal improvement in defence.

“The contest is critical and I think our defence can still come up a notch or two,” he said.

Gowans said he hoped for a free-flowing, talent-versus-talent game.

“Any of the coaches who look at the Champion Data stats like we do, Adelaide are either one or two and we’re vice versa in all the key stats.

“It speaks that it will be a high-scoring game, I’m hoping, although conditions are not predicted to be too good (35C, with a gusty cool change) that might make it a bit scrappy,” he said.

Originally published as North Melbourne v Crows: Three reasons one versus two will the match of round five