Kangaroos 1.2 3.7 7.9 9.10 64 Sydney 3.5 4.7 6.10 8.16 64
Great start. Ordinary middle. Exciting end. Disappointing Result.
Or was it?
We got 2 points. That?s better than ZERO points.
We came home stronger than the Roos. They lost it after being 3 goals up, in a winning position, half way through the final term.
We had no injuries. Roos had 3 players carried from the field.
No reports, Yet??
Some good physical contests.
Jesse White showed us glimpses of what he can do.
Bevan was arguably one of the best on the ground. Now that surprised a few.
The game got off to a cracker with a mark to Jolly in the forward 50 within the first 30 seconds of the game. The ball came from Moore with a beautiful pass. Followed by a goal, with just over 40 seconds on the clock. Had the Swans notorious slow starts been shattered? The game the settled into an arm wrestle with neither side finding targets up forward. After about 20 mins number 14, Bird stepped up for a mark and goal. Moore was involved in that play, but the pass came from Kirk. Jones kicked the only goal for the Roos. Another quick centre break after the Roos goal and Jack passes to Davis. Davis who had already had a shocker of a shot, now had another chance to slot through his first just on the siren. A much better effort from tricky Dicky. Unfortunately that was about the end of anything he could conjure up. Buchanon had sat Harris on his butt with a bone crunching shirt front, while Bevan drew blood, from himself, after showing some more physicality. The Roos small forwards failed to fire. One of the funnier moments was when Wells(?) pushed Bevan in the chest to try and get a few metres on him to lead, but instead fell on his rear, while Bevan barely budged. Moore was getting plenty of the ball.
15 point qtr time lead.
Moore again gets involved and the ball ends up with Goodes who kicks his first of the game. Goodes is not playing sensational, but he his putting in a big effort, making contests. That would be the swans biggest lead in the game. The tide soon turned and the Roos forwards started to take some grabs. Thompson kicks 2 goals in a matter of minutes and the Roos are back in the game. Not that they were that far behind, but in a tight tussle, 3 goals can be a big lead.
1 goals half time lead.
2 more goals to the Roos and the Roos had the lead. The second one came after a intense lockdown in the Roos F50 no one could make a clean break, Tadhg attempted the 3rd man up, only to knock the ball to Harding who goaled. Things weren?t going the Swans way and the umpires were starting to make an impact on the game with some ?interesting? decisions. 2 very, very soft 50m penalties had already gone against us, for slight holding after marks. Moore and Bird then managed to get the ball to MOL for his first shot at goal. A tall bulky strong marking forward would have made a big difference today. After Goodes final goal of the game to wrest back the lead, was followed by a goal to McIntosh to lead by 5 at the final change.
Again, a couple of quick goals from the Roos, seemed to rattle the swans, until over 10 minutes later Barlow got the ball to Tadhg who decided to take the bull by the horns and shrugged off a couple of would be tackles and got the ball to top of the goal square Kirk picked up the ball with his fingernails and fed the ball off MOL who snapped truly. The troops seemed to sense that the game wasn?t lost, and had lifted a notch and were throwing everything they had at the Roos. Some more exciting play and the intensity was lifting. Buchanon, ROK, Jack, Bolton, Jack who snaps from almost 50, marked in the Goal Square by MOL, who then snaps another goal. Suddenly the lead is under a goal and the game can be won. Still plenty of minutes to go. Each Roo attack is repelled, even the umpire assisted ones. But the swans can?t get the ball through the big sticks. Barlow(twice), ROK, Moore, Kirk, all had shots but no goals, only points.
The scores are now level with only minutes to go.
Can anyone step up and break the deadlock?
To answer this question the simplest way I know how?
No!!
The game ends with the scores deadlocked at 64 each. 2nd AFL draw in a week.
The crowd gives the umpires and admiring send off, and then it?s off to contemplate what might have been.
Moore just keeps getting better.
Bird is gaining confidence, proved by his shot for goal.
White is one big lad.
Jack had another difficult task, with the speedy Boomer Harvey, giving him plenty of grief, and whilst Boomer won the day, Jack was not disgraced.
Bevan took a step up by playing his best game, possibly of his career.
The forwards, well, they were all pretty ordinary until MOL kicked 2 last qtr goals.
The defenders did it tough as usual. The Roos kept rotating between small and tall forward lines, so they had either big leading forwards, or small whippets to chase. Leo and C Bolton, ably aided by Tadhg, and Mattner, did a commendable job.
My favourite Mattner moment was when he bounced off an attempted tackler, shrugging the tackle with ease, and running clear.
We won?t discuss the shots that missed everything.
Kangaroos 1.2 3.7 7.9 9.10 64 Sydney 3.5 4.7 6.10 8.16 64
Goals:
North Melbourne: Thompson 2, Jones 2, Hale 2, Campbell, Harding, McIntosh
Sydney Swans: O?Loughlin 3, Goodes 2, Jolly, Bird, Davis
Best:
North Melbourne: Harvey, Firrito, Petrie, Rawlings, Simpson
Sydney Swans: Goodes, Kirk, O?Keefe, Bevan, O?Loughlin, Moore
Injuries:
North Melbourne: Edwards (ankle)
Sydney:Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires:
North Melbourne: McLaren, Ryan, Avon
Sydney:Nil
Crowd: 28,392 at Telstra Dome
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