Not only has Melbourne been hit hard by injury - it had 14 listed players unavailable last round - the Demons have not beaten the Kangaroos since round 20, 2006. On top of that, the Demons haven’t won at Docklands since round 19, 2007, and have never beaten North at the venue.
The Kangaroos have also been in top form during the second half of the season, but Grimes said the Dees are viewing this match as a challenge they want to confront head on.
“They are going really well at the moment. They’ve won four of their last six, so they’re playing some really good footy. They had a really good win against Richmond last week and they’re a pretty good team too,” Grimes told melbournefc.com.au.
“We looked at their stats and the way that they’re moving the ball at the moment - they’re pretty dangerous. A lot of our focus this week is to try and stop that and slow it down, and put them under as much pressure as we possibly can.
“We know if they get a run on with their ball movement and open the game up, they’re going to be hard to stop. We need to put the pressure on and if we do that, we think we’ll be a massive chance.”
Grimes said the Etihad hoodoo and the fact Melbourne has not beaten North Melbourne in its past nine outings mattered little in this encounter.
“That stuff isn’t spoken about. That’s not playing on anyone’s mind at all. We haven’t had a good record there, but I don’t think anyone thinks about it at all, going into the game.
“But it’d be definitely nice to get a win at Etihad.
“And I’m sure a lot of the boys would be aware we haven’t had a great record [against North Melbourne]. They played well against us and have a good record against us, but I don’t think it plays on anyone’s mind at all. We are definitely keen to break it.”
Returning from Darwin after a disappointing loss to Port Adelaide at TIO Stadium last round, Grimes said the players had pulled up well from the trip.
“The Darwin trip does take a little bit more out of you than most games, because it’s a bit hotter and humid, along with the plane trip,” he said.
“A few of the boys were a bit tired and a bit sore early in the week, but we freshened up on Monday.
“We got back into our main training on Wednesday, and the boys trained really well, so I think we’ve recovered now. The fitness staff looked after us really well, so we’re ready to go this week.”
Grimes, who recorded 32 disposals last round, has missed just one match this season. His 15 matches so far in 2012 represents his best effort yet in a year. It’s a fine return, considering injuries halted the early part of his career. He said this allowed him to build with confidence.
“Each week, I’m starting to feel more and more comfortable as the season goes on,” he said.
“Confidence builds throughout the year by playing games, but it’s helped me a lot playing some consistent games in a row - just being out on the park - whereas I’ve been a bit interrupted the past few years.
“That’s been the biggest bonus for me this year - just playing over a bigger period - rather than just here and there. It does make a big difference, because you can just think about footy and what you need to do week to week, rather than worry about your body and if you can get up. So that’s definitely a positive.
“I still realise that I’ve got a lot of areas I need to improve and work on to be a consistent midfielder, so it’s good to get a kick here and there. I feel a lot of guys are in the same boat that they’re building their consistency throughout this year, and hopefully we’ll finish off the year very well.”
With 2010 best and fairest Brad Green set to play his 250th match against North, Grimes said the Demons will do their utmost to give the former captain a win.
“It’s a massive achievement. It’s huge in any club. For Greeny at Melbourne, he’s a one club player and he’s almost up there with the legends who have gone before him at Melbourne. He’ll be remembered that way,” he said.
“I hope for Greeny he’s got a few years left in him, but the run that he’s had has been great - he’s played a lot of consistent footy over a lot of years, and has been a massive part of this footy club.
“The respect that he’s got around this place is just massive - all the boys who run out with him feel pretty privileged to be running out with Greeny in his 250th and we’ll do everything we can to make sure we get a win.”
