North Melbourne's round 21 win over Collingwood last season broke an extraordinary run of dominance by the Magpies, in which they won the teams' four clashes from 2009-11 by an average 80.5 points. The Roos ran Collingwood ragged through the midfield in last year's clash and stretched its defence with their three-pronged forward line of Drew Petrie, Lachlan Hansen and Robbie Tarrant. However, North has previously struggled to contain Collingwood's elite midfield, with Scott Pendlebury and Dane Swan in particular having run amok. This game will give us an insight into whether North can further bridge the gap to the competition's top teams this year, and whether Collingwood's disappointing finish to 2012 was an aberration.
WHERE AND WHEN: Etihad Stadium, Sunday March 31, 4.40pm
TV AND RADIO: Click here for broadcast guide
LAST FIVE TIMES
R21, 2012, North Melbourne 13.13 (91) d Collingwood 8.13 (61) at Etihad Stadium
R16, 2011, Collingwood 22.15 (147) d North Melbourne 3.12 (30) at the MCG
R2, 2011, Collingwood 21.17 (143) d North Melbourne 7.14 (56) at Etihad Stadium
R7, 2010, Collingwood 23.19 (157) d North Melbourne 14.7 (91) at the MCG
R6, 2009, Collingwood 19.13 (127) d North Melbourne 11.9 (75) at Etihad Stadium
THE SIX POINTS
1. Roos talls loom large
When these teams met in round 21 last season the Kangaroos' tall forward line was instrumental in their win, the Roos kicking eight goals from marks compared to the Magpies' two.
2. Masters of Etihad
North was impressive at Etihad Stadium in 2012, winning 10 of 13 games, while Collingwood has won nine of its past 11 at the venue.
3. Contrasting game styles
North is one of the competition's longest kicking teams, finishing third for long kicks in 2012, while Collingwood finished 11th and is prepared to look for short options more often.
4. Hard-running Roos
No team ran harder to receive the ball in 2012 than North, with the Roos ranked first for handball receives, while Collingwood was ranked sixth.
5. Magpies' two-to-one edge
This will be the 154th game between the teams and Collingwood holds a sizeable advantage, having won 102 games to North's 49, with two games drawn.
6. Etihad crowd record-holders
North Melbourne and Collingwood hold the record for the highest AFL attendance at Etihad Stadium, with their round 14, 2003 clash drawing 53,312.
