Round 16 Preview — 2026 AFL SeasonAFL Analytics

North Melbourne v Essendon

Essendon 1–13, 0–7 away. North Melbourne 5–3 at home. R3 result: North by 12. Strong tip: North Melbourne by 20.

SavvyPlays · 25 June 2026 · Marvel Stadium · Sunday 28 June · 3:15PM AEST

Essendon are 1–13 — one win all season, back in Round 5. They’ve lost 9 straight and are 0–7 away from home. North Melbourne are 7–7 with a 5–3 home record and already beat Essendon by 12 in R3 this season. All 29 models agree.

SavvyPlays Tip — Strong

01North Melbourne by 20

Essendon’s 1–13 season is the worst in the AFL alongside Richmond’s 2–12. Their sole win came in Round 5 (Melbourne by 45) and they’ve lost nine straight since. They’re 0–7 away from home with an average losing margin on the road of over 30 points.

North Melbourne are 7–7 and 5–3 at home. They already beat Essendon by 12 at this venue in R3 this season. Their recent form includes a 25-point win over Richmond (R15, away) and a 1-point win over West Coast (R14, home). They’re not spectacular, but they’re more than enough for a 1–13 opponent.

Unanimous Squiggle consensus: 29/29 North Melbourne at 66.6% confidence with a +14.6 average margin. We’re going to +20 based on Essendon’s continued deterioration and the R3 precedent.

7–7
North Melb Season
1–13
Essendon Season
5–3
North Home
0–7
Essendon Away
North by 12
R3 Result
29/29 North
Squiggle

Data & Methodology

Team records sourced from AFL Tables. Model consensus from Squiggle API. All figures verified as of 25 June 2026.

SavvyPlays — AFL Analytics · © 2026