Match result
Northern Blues 12.17 89 def. North Melbourne 7.10 52
Player stats
AFL-listed
Aaron Hall (13 disposals, 1 goal), Bailey Scott (5 disposals), Curtis Taylor (15 disposals, 3 goals), Dom Tyson (8 disposals), Joel Crocker (16 disposals), Kyron Hayden (3 disposals, 5 tackles), Luke Davies-Uniacke (16 disposals), Paul Ahern (15 disposals), Red Og Murphy (2 disposals), Sam Durdin (6 disposals), Tom Campbell (18 disposals, 34 hit-outs, 1 goal), Tristan Xerri (8 disposals, 1 goal)
VFL-listed
Alex Morgan (14 disposals), Brendan Whitecross (13 disposals), Chris Jansen (22 disposals), Dan Robinson (27 disposals), Fraser Cameron (10 disposals), Jordan McIvor-Clark (11 disposals), Liam McVeigh (3 disposals), Matt Northe (16 disposals), Nash Holmes (15 disposals, 1 goal), Rhys Mutch (7 disposals), Ryan Morrison (13 disposals),
Recap
North Melbourne’s VFL side came close to securing a maiden win for 2019, falling short against the Northern Blues.
Facing a Blues’ outfit that had lost just one game in the season proper, the Roos started with intent, booting the first goal.
An end-to-end game followed, with both sides enjoying periods of dominance in opposing quarters, ending in an entertaining arm wrestle at IKON Park.
Despite trailing at the main break, North entered the last change with a two-point buffer.
A six-goal final term, where the Roos were restricted to just two behinds, allowed the rampant Blues to score an eventual 37-point win.
What the coach said
“At three-quarter time I thought we really wrestled the ascendency back,” coach David Loader told North Media.
“There were some real positives to take out of the way we played today, which is great. It’s unfortunate with the result, I’m more disappointed for the boys than anything else.
“They’re shattered today cause they thought they were in a game they really believed they could win, but it didn’t pan out that way. Injuries play a big toll, especially when we can’t rotate.
“It’s important that the football means something to them. We’re struggling to get it done at the minute, but we’re working our way through it.”
Best of AFL
Curtis Taylor
After showing promise during pre-season, it’s easy to see why many predicted a big year in the state competition for Taylor.
A valuable cog in North’s forward six, the 19-year-old finished his afternoon with three goals from six scoring shots.
Best of VFL
Dan Robinson
The former Swan continues to adopt a selfless approach to his game, playing roles in both the centre and wing when required.
Robinson has carried over his elite ball-winning reputation from the NEAFL, tallying 27 disposals, the highest of any player on the ground, equalled by only Sam Fisher.
