WHERE AND WHEN: Etihad Stadium, Saturday 18 June, 2.10pm
HEAD TO HEAD: Essendon 94 wins, North Melbourne 50 wins, one draw
LAST TIME: Essendon 18.14 (122) d North Melbourne 18.11 (119), round 17, 2010 at Etihad Stadium
TV, RADIO AND BETTING: Click here for broadcast guide and odds 
A full replay will be available on afl.com.au 12 hours after the completion of the match
FORM: Essendon: WLBLL North Melbourne: WLLWW

SUMMARY
This match-up is far more difficult to pick this weekend than it would have been five weeks ago when the Bombers were in the top four and flying and North looked a wooden spoon contender.

Since then James Hird's men, through a combination of injuries to key players and a tapering off of form, have hit the skids.

The Kangaroos, by contrast, have found some solid form in stringing together three wins from their past five matches, with the two losses both by less than 15 points.

Andrew Swallow and Daniel Wells have been red hot through the midfield and Drew Petrie and Aaron Edwards are providing a strong target up forward - two areas where the Bombers have lacked during their current run of losses, particularly in the absence of Jobe Watson and Michael Hurley.

With those two now back and with a game under their belt, this shapes as an intriguing contest and a tough one from which to choose a winner.

QUESTION MARKS
What effect will Essendon's extended stay in Perth have? The Bombers already faced a tight six-day turnaround from their road trip, but it was made even tighter due to airport closures on Sunday night. Hird and his men eventually touched down in Melbourne late on Monday. Perhaps the extra day's bonding will do them good.

Will Brad Scott continue Jack Ziebell's footballing education? Struggling for form early in the season, the talented young midfielder was given a run-with role on Melbourne star Brent Moloney in round eight and relished the challenge. A shadow job on Bombers skipper Watson would seem another good learning opportunity.

PREDICTION
Essendon by 15 points.
 
TOYOTA AFL DREAM TEAM WATCH
Kangaroos ruckman Todd Goldstein ($387,400) has put together three scores of 120 or more at Etihad Stadium this season, including a whopping 144 against Adelaide in round 11. He's sure to shoulder most of the ruck responsibility for his team again this week against Essendon's combination of David Hille, Paddy Ryder and possibly Tom Bellchambers.

Follow the game live in the AFL Match Centre on afl.com.au and join the conversation on Twitter using #afldonsnorth.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL