Roos at home in stripes
The Age
Wednesday March 30, 2011
NTH MELBOURNE v COLLINGWOOD ETIHAD STADIUM, SATURDAY, 2.10PMTHE four points have yet to be decided but North Melbourne has already had an important win heading into Saturday‚„s home clash against Collingwood.No longer will the Kangaroos have to wear an alternate strip when playing as the home team against the Magpies, an issue that has rankled those at the club. Indeed, the Kangaroos have resembled the Argentinian soccer team in the past two years by donning a guernsey with pale blue-and-white stripes.But in an agreement brokered between the AFL and the clubs, the Magpies will unveil a slightly new look. The famous black-and-white stripes will remain but the guernsey will have a larger black base with only two white stripes on the chest and back.Kangaroos midfielder Andrew Swallow yesterday said his team was delighted to be able to wear its traditional royal blue and white stripes at Etihad Stadium this weekend against a club it has rekindled a rivalry with ‚€ť certainly off the field.‚ś‚śIt‚„s obviously exciting. It‚„s always nice, especially this week when it‚„s our home game, to wear your home strip,‚„‚„ Swallow said.Last year tensions between the clubs rose amid a spat over rival pre-game functions and a joke delivered at the Magpies‚„ dinner by president Eddie McGuire at the expense of North‚„s chief operating officer Cameron Vale.The Kangaroos have branded this week‚„s home encounter as a chance for fans to ‚ś‚śEarn Your Stripes‚„‚„, in reference to supporters showing up in the club‚„s traditional gear.But it could also apply to the players‚„ on-field performance, with Brad Scott‚„s men keen to improve on last season‚„s record against the top-four sides. In six matches against the league‚„s elite, the Kangaroos lost by an average of 66 points.As Swallow had stated in a pre-season promotional speech, it‚„s time to ‚ś‚śbridge the gap‚„‚„. ‚ś‚śBrad spoke to us at the end of the review yesterday and pretty much said exactly those words,‚„‚„ Swallow said.‚ś‚śIt‚„s the first time we get to challenge ourselves against a genuine top-four, genuine top-one, top-two side. It‚„s a great test for us. We feel like we have improved from last year in a number of ways.‚ś‚śWe have brought in a lot of young guys who have played some good football, Shaun Atley, Cam Pederson, those type of guys. To bring them in and the way they played at the weekend was terrific.‚„‚„Bridging that gap against the Magpies won‚„t be an easy task. The Roos‚„ round-one loss to the Eagles in Perth was physically and mentally draining. A midnight flight home meant the players‚„ recovery was delayed. Now they face the most feared side in the competition, one that is fresh off a relatively easy mauling of Port Adelaide.The Kangaroos, at times, struggled to dissect the Eagles‚„ defensive press, a tactic the Magpies have mastered more than any other side.‚ś‚śObviously Collingwood are the kings at the moment of putting pressure on you and pushing up the ground, really trying to make it hard for us to get out of our back line,‚„‚„ said Swallow, who was superb against the Eagles with 26 possessions in 81 per cent of game time.‚ś‚śWe found it difficult at times against West Coast to be able to do that. Part of the review yesterday was touching on what we need to do to improve that and the way we need to move the ball.‚ś‚śHopefully we can counteract those tactics.‚„‚„Swallow said the Kangaroos were eagerly awaiting the return of Drew Petrie, arguably the club‚„s most important player, Todd Goldstein and Nathan Grima.
© 2011 The Age
