If history is any guide, Todd Goldstein will be hell bent on ensuring Brodie Grundy’s dominance in the ruck isn’t a talking point after North Melbourne’s AFL clash with Collingwood.
Goldstein has a proud record of lifting for big duels with respected members of the AFL ruck brotherhood and the Roos veteran will need to dig extra deep on Saturday night with Grundy in white-hot form.
Coming off his maiden All-Australian nod and Pies best-and-fairest win in 2018, Grundy has raised the bar this season, averaging 42 hitouts and just under 21 disposals a game.
He’s passed the 50-hitout mark on three occasions – all Collingwood wins – and has lost none of the agility and hard-nosed approach to the contest that make him another midfielder when the ball is on the ground.
Goldstein, who turns 31 on Monday, is also enjoying a good season, continuing to work back to his 2015 All-Australian form.
He would love nothing better than to help himself to an early birthday present by taking the honours in his critical clash with Grundy at Marvel Stadium.
“Goldy just rises to challenges like this,” North midfield coach Jarred Moore told AAP.
“He looks forward to those really big challenges like Max Gawn, Aaron Sandilands and Grundy … they bring out the best in him.
“He just really sets himself to play well against the best.
“He’s a competitive beast, so we just need him to bring that.
“Once the ball hits the ground, we know that he’s as good as anyone. He follows up and gets plenty of the ball himself.
“Grundy is clearly really good at that, but so is Goldy and he’s been doing (it) for years.”
The 13th-placed Roos have impressed with a 2-1 record under caretaker coach Rhyce Shaw and face their sternest challenge since Brad Scott’s departure when they take on the Pies.
The Kangaroos made one change to the side defeated by GWS before their bye, handing an AFL debut to big-bodied midfielder Kyron Hayden in place of Taylor Garner. He will play in the VFL after his involvement in a bar fight.
Collingwood, second on the ladder, also made one change, calling up Josh Daicos for his first game of the season with Jeremy Howe out due to a calf injury.