Brisbane Lions vs North Melbourne Prediction: Lions hoping for first season win

Kicking off Friday's Australian Football League action is a showdown between two teams yet to secure a win: the Brisbane Lions and North Melbourne, taking place at Norwood Oval. Heading into this matchup, both teams have struggled, each eager to claim their first victory of the season.

The Brisbane Lions suffered their third consecutive loss after being defeated by the Collingwood Magpies 92-72 in their 2023 Grand Final rematch last Thursday. Just like the Collingwood Magpies, who started the year with a 0-3 record, Brisbane has faced a similar fate, prompting serious questions about the club's performance following such a dismal start. While Brisbane has showcased moments of brilliance, it has been limited to just one quarter in each game. In the opening quarters of their first two matches and the second quarter of their round 2 clash, the Brisbane Lions have accumulated a points differential of +74. However, in the other nine quarters, they have struggled significantly, amassing a points differential of -188.

Heading into their upcoming game, Lachie Neale has passed his fitness test and is set to play after tweaking his ankle. Unfortunately, Tom Doodee will undergo surgery to repair his ACL.

Expectations were low for North Melbourne heading into 2024, and their winless start of 0-3 has come as no surprise to observers. The rebuilding Kangaroos have displayed glimpses of their promising future in all three outings so far, but have struggled to maintain consistent resilience throughout each contest. Undoubtedly, the most glaring flaw in this young North Melbourne team is their defensive capability. They have conceded over 100 points in all three matches thus far, including a staggering 137 points against the Blues on Good Friday. Unfortunately, there are no easy solutions to these defensive issues, as they are already fielding their best options in the backline.

Although both of these clubs are winless, it's no surprise that the Brisbane Lions are overwhelming favorites to secure the four points on Friday. They've utterly dominated the Kangaroos in recent encounters, with resounding victories of 156-48 in their 2022 clash and 152-77 in their sole meeting last season. As mentioned earlier, the Kangaroos' defensive struggles are glaring, particularly against the Lions' formidable forward line, which features numerous key forwards. Unless there are significant changes this week, another one-sided result in favor of the Brisbane Lions is anticipated.