Australian Football League R6 Melbourne Demons Vs North Melbourne Kangaroos 5/1 0010EST

Tonight's write-up brought to you by Gambling: "because Leroy bet me I couldn't find a pot of gold at the end, and I told him that was a stupid bet because the rainbow was enough.” (Rita Mae Brown)

It has been an indifferent start to the season for the Roos, opening with consecutive defeats - including a 104 point loss to St. Kilda - before fighting back to win two of their last three matches. The 12 point win last Sunday over Hawthorn was by far North's most impressive win, although it's victory over West Coast Eagles was by a greater margin (25 points).

Amazingly, Melbourne enters Round 6 as the second most in form team at the moment, sitting only second behind the Sydney Swans. It has been a stunning turnaround by the Demons after their shocking performance against Hawthorn in Round 1. The Dees lost a one-point nail-biter to Collingwood in Round 2, but have since won a hat-trick of matches by an average of 40.33 points. This included an outstanding 50-point win over the previously undefeated Brisbane Lions at the MCG last Saturday night.

For North, Brady Rawlings is having another consistent yet underrated season. He was the catalyst for shutting down the Hawks midfield, closely checking Cyril Rioli, and has shown a consistency all season that has to be recognised. He also kicked a crucial goal late against the Hawks to help seal the win. Hard-at-it midfielder Brent Moloney has been among the red and blue's most consistent performers this season, highlighted by 37 and 31 disposals in the past two games. His leadership and presence in the engine room has been integral for the Demons.

Melbourne has not won four on the trot since its six match winning streak from rounds 10 to 15 in 2006. Can the Demons make it four in a row and edge into the eight? With the Demons all the rage at the moment, will the Roos catch them off guard and secure back-to-back wins for the first time under new coach Brad Scott?

In conclusion although Melbourne enters as favourite, North Melbourne has a superior recent record over the Demons, having won its past six in a row, but on form it's hard to go past Melbourne given they are playing with a high level of confidence and producing a quick style of play and intensity. My pick here is for Melbourne -3.5 (-102) for 2 units.





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