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Roos on the up
In 2011, North Melbourne lost all five of its games against the top four sides by an average margin of 58 points. Those losses included a 66-point defeat at the hands of Geelong at Simonds Stadium. But the Kangaroos' win over the Cats on Sunday night - their first victory over Geelong since 2007 - shows they can now match it with the big boys. After consecutive ninth-place finishes, Brad Scott's men might well be on track to play in the finals.
2. Travails of Thomas
North Melbourne was 14 points up at the 22-minute mark of the first quarter when Drew Petrie marked the ball 40m out in the right pocket. Petrie is a beautiful kick, but rather than have a shot he passed to Lindsay Thomas, whose kicking for goal is wonky at the best of times. Thomas duly put his shot out in the full. Three minutes later, Thomas received a handball from Matt Campbell just inside the 50m arc. He ran towards the boundary line in the left pocket, which made it an even tougher ask for a left-footer, then put his kick straight through for a brilliant goal. It was another intriguing chapter in an enigmatic career.
Who was that?
Geelong kicked the first major of the second quarter, and it came from a very unlikely source: defender Tom Gillies, who at the time was playing in a back-pocket on Aaron Edwards. The accurate snap, which narrowed the margin to 13 points, was Gillies' first goal in AFL footy. The milestone was a long time coming, as this is the 22-year-old's fourth year on the Cats' list. However, it was only his ninth game at the highest level. Early in the third quarter, Geelong had another unlikely goalscorer when debutant George Horlin-Smith booted a major with his first kick in an AFL game.
Wright stuff
North youngster Sam Wright did a brilliant blanketing job on Geelong star Steve Johnson during the first three quarters. Johnson had only had four possessions to his name when he came off briefly with ankle problem just prior to the last change. The triple premiership player went into the midfield in the last quarter, and he finished the game with 13 touches. But Wright, who ended the match with 18 disposals, clearly won their battle.
There's always next week
The last time Geelong lost to North Melbourne was in round five, 2007. The following week the Cats beat Richmond by 157 points. It seems a very bad omen for the Tigers, who have made a habit of getting skewered by Geelong in the past two decades. Richmond travels to Simonds Stadium to play the Cats next week. The 2011 premiership flag will be unfurled before the game.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
VIDEOS: Sam Wright and Matt Campbell interviews | Brad Scott press conference | Ziebell match-winner | Harper great goal | Join in the Chorus | Liam Anthony's long goal | Hamish's redemption | Match highlights | Lindsay Thomas goal from boundary | Thomas courage
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