MELBOURNE 11.4 (70) d NORTH MELBOURNE 10.7 (67)
North’s Broken Hearts
For the second week in a row, North Melbourne had their hearts broken, this time losing by three points. Whereas last week they could not protect a 54-point lead, tonight they fell just short of running down a deficit which had stretched to 39 points deep in the third term. The Kangas booted the final six goals of the game, and held the Dees scoreless in the final quarter. After whittling the gap to three points, they had just under four minutes to find the winning goal, but the siren blew with the ball deep in their forward line. Moments earlier, Luke Davies-Uniacke had a ball burst through his hands on 50 though perhaps he could have been called back by a teammate. Kangas fans will have left the MCG flat but unlike the first half of the season when their side was routinely hammered they can see progress.
May Staging
Umpiring is a difficult job. Sure, my experience does not go beyond putting on the virtual reality goggles for game simulation during a tour of the ARC this week, but there are so many things they are looking for, they do not need players making it even harder like Steven May did. Tackled to the ground by Eddie Ford in a tackle after being spun around 720 degrees, May’s head hit the turf in a second motion that appeared to have little to do with the North player’s action. May then grabbed at his head, as if he had been hurt, and was awarded a free kick for a dangerous tackle.
Oliver’s Hard Tag
Clayton Oliver is going to have every bit of his character tested in the run home. The tag is back in vogue, and if this game is any guide, Oliver will have a target on his jumper from opposition coaches. The star onballer was driven batty by Will Phillips, who limited Oliver to just 14 possessions while getting 12 himself. Granted, Oliver is playing well below the levels he reached at his peak but he still shapes as their most damaging midfielder in Petracca’s absence. Wherever Oliver went, Phillips was there with an arm across his side. Instead of pushing and shoving, Oliver needed to take a leaf out of Nick Daicos’s book. The Collingwood superstar ran Phillips into the ground, including a mega third quarter when he did not leave the field, to the point where North subbed out their man. It cleared the way for Daicos to win the game. Oliver, though, does not have Daicos’s running capacity and, coming off a severly interrupted preseason, would arguably be below his top fitness levels. The frustration told on Oliver, who gave away five free kicks, including one off the ball when Melbourne had possession. Seeing how well it worked, Oliver can expect more to come in the run home.