Where: Preston City Oval, Preston
When: Saturday, 20 May
Time: 2pm (Development League 11am).
Conditions: Sunshine and a top of 17 degrees is forecast.
Last time they met:
Sandringham 13.24 (102) def. Northern Blues 9.8 (62) at Preston City Oval, 2016 Round 12.
Goals: Shenton 3, O’Kearney 3, Dennis-Lane 2, Murdoch 2, Holmes, Payne, Pierce.
Best: Templeton, Murdoch, O’Kearney, Shenton, Answerth.
Form guide:
Sandringham currently sits fourth and haven’t done much wrong in the season to date, having only dropped one game in five weeks. The Zebras have won three in a row since the Round 2 loss to Richmond and Saturday’s clash with the Northern Blues shapes as a must watch.
In the opposition stakes, the Northern Blues have won their past four games and sit above Sandringham on percentage in third. The Blues are yet to drop a game at home and showed their dominance with a 55-point win over the Casey Demons in round five.
Selected team:
B: 78. J. Baker-Thomas, 73. N. Coughlan, 1. D. Weickhardt
HB: 75. B. Rice, 37. H. Goddard, 65. B. White
C: 2. K. Answerth, 63. N. O'Kearney, 3. L. Verma
HF: 32. J. Lonie, 36. J. Battle, 34. B. Long
F: 62. R. Connellan, 16. M. Hayes, 9. M. Cook
R: 69. J. Holmes, 33. N. Freeman, 76. N. Wright
Int: 40. J. Bruce, 6. J. Fisscher, 41. D. Minchington, 71. L. Pierce, 49. J. Sziller, 7. C. Rich, 26. J. Wallace, 80. S. Savage
23P: 25. N. Scagliarini
Players to watch:
SANDRINGHAM
Ben Long
St Kilda draftee Long showed plenty of excitement in the win over Coburg last week, kicking three goals and laying five tackles. Long possesses plenty of class and has tricks to match with his versatility to play anywhere on the ground. Expect him to feature in attack against the Blues on Saturday.
Shane Savage
The 26-year-old Savage makes the preview for the second week running on the back of a standout performance against Coburg. The former Hawk led disposals with 34 and laid two tackles across half-back and pushing up onto the wing. His long kicking and ability to cover ground will be vital for Sandringham’s quest to upset the Blues on their home turf.
NORTHERN BLUES
Sam Kerridge
The Carlton-listed midfielder was prolific in the Blues’ win over Casey last round, amassing 30 disposals, 11 marks and five tackles. The strong bodied midfielder thrives on winning the contested ball and applying pressure to the opposition, something the Zebras will need to be mindful of come Saturday afternoon.
Tom Wilson
A standout for Northern against Casey, Wilson gathered 29 disposals and laid eight tackles in a best-on-ground performance at Cramer St. With a strong ball-winning ability combined with his efforts to hit the scoreboard, Wilson shapes as a vital cog for the Blues’ chances of victory.
