North Melbourne’s season is back on a knife’s edge after its loss to the Swans according to interim coach Darren Crocker.

In the media, the Roos were given credit for their performance against last year’s grand finalists, but few chances remain in the season if the side is going to make it into the top eight and return to the finals.

The Age

“The Power and the Roos are three games outside the top four. Just making the eight is going to be enough of a battle, either needing at least seven wins from their last 11 games to even be a chance.

“North's poor second quarter against the Swans on Saturday night cost it dearly, but the Roos have comprehensively failed their other two big tests this season against the Hawks and the Dockers.” - Rohan Connolly

AFL.com.au

“For three quarters of Saturday night's 16-point loss to the Sydney Swans, the Kangas played the brand of tough and daring football which propelled them to a preliminary final last year. At 5-6, achieving a similar result might seem beyond them in 2015, but hope remains.

“North's draw opens up favourably after the bye, with six matches it should start strong favourite and four winnable games at Etihad Stadium against Geelong, Western Bulldogs, Fremantle and Richmond. The Roos won 14 matches last home-and-away season, and matching that isn't impossible. But there's little wiggle room left with the season on a knife edge, so beating Greater Western Sydney at Spotless Stadium this Saturday is nearly a non-negotiable.” - Travis King

The loss of classy ball users in Nick Dal Santo and Daniel Wells to injury is having a massive impact on the team’s ability to efficiently use the footy.

The Herald Sun

“What they desperately need is the return of polished ball-carriers Nick Dal Santo, who is slated to return against Greater Western Sydney next week, and Daniel Wells, possibly a fortnight later.” - Jay Clark

The Age

“North's ball use against the Swans was at times very ordinary. To that end, the continued absence of their two best ball-users in Daniel Wells and Nick Dal Santo has hit hard.” - Rohan Connolly

The Roos’ inability to kick straight and focus for four quarters led to the 16-point defeat.

AAP

“This time the Kangaroos showed plenty of fight, despite losing control of the contest after quarter-time when forwards Drew Petrie and Lindsay Thomas were both off having injuries assessed.” - Rob Forsaith

The Age

“Against Collingwood, a fortnight ago, it was the third term in which the Roos failed to show up. Do those sort of lapses indicate a team just 30 minutes short of reaching the top of the class, or one simply not quite good enough to nail a four-quarter performance?

“Failure to convert against Sydney was critical, 10.15 and a couple of bad misses at the death proof enough. But the Roos' bad second-quarter bad patch was no less significant. Well into time-on, they'd had just two inside 50 entries for the term, and shortly before the long break, trailed by 36 points. You simply can't surrender that sort of lead to a team as good as Sydney.

“But no side can afford not to take its chances against the Swans, and even when the tide of play turned, the Roos couldn't.” – Rohan Connolly

It wasn’t all doom and gloom, barring the second term, North more than matched it with the Swans. Jack Ziebell the one who turned the tide.

AFL.com.au

“Jack Ziebell sparked North Melbourne after half-time with a brilliant spoil that forced tough Swans midfielder Dan Hannebery from the ground for treatment and ended in an inspirational goal from Shaun Higgins. The kick to Hannebery lingered in the air for a second longer than ideal and it was enough for Ziebell to pounce, punching the ball from his opponent's hands as his knee cannoned into Hannebery's back. The ball bounced towards North Melbourne's forward 50 and Higgins pounced to kick a team-lifting goal. Hannebery was tough enough to return and kick the first goal of the final quarter.

“Ziebell leads using raw courage, running back into packs and hitting the opposition hard but there is an over-reliance on him.” - Peter Ryan

The Herald Sun

“Early in the third term, Ziebell poleaxed gun Swans’ midfielder Daniel Hannebery as he climbed over the Brownlow contender to lay a crunching spoil on a high ball, igniting the Roos’ comeback.

“Hannebery was forced off the ground for five minutes to seek treatment on a sore back before Ziebell then flew courageously running back with the flight in a forward line marking contest.

“But in a season where North Melbourne has lost three games by more than 10 goals, threatening their finals credentials, Ziebell’s physicality and 10 tackles from captain Andrew Swallow over the first three quarters helped cut into an early Sydney lead.” - Jay Clark

The Age

“Credit goes to the Roos for bouncing back hard in the second half. The comeback started immediately, in fact, Shaun Higgins continuing his big debut year with the first two goals of the third term, the second after a pretty inspirational spoil from Jack Ziebell.

“Skipper Andrew Swallow cracked in all night, Ben Cunnington likewise, Lachie Hansen did his spare man in defence thing brilliantly, and yet again, no Roo exerted a presence as big as ruckman Todd Goldstein, completely dominant in the hit-outs and very handy around the ground, too.

“In the middle and around the ground, the Roos were always in good shape with Todd Goldstein in All-Australian form.” - Rohan Connolly

AAP

“North's Todd Goldstein continued his impressive form, dominating the ruck contests and laying six tackles.” - Rob Forsaith

The Herald Sun

“Todd Goldstein led a ruck masterclass to ensure the Roos maintained total control at the clearances all match.

“If North is to get over the line against the Giants, it will need more output from its tall forwards and middle tier players.” - Jay Clark

AFL.com.au

“Despite having Drew Petrie, Ben Brown and Jarrad Waite in the forward 50, the Kangaroos had taken just four marks inside 50 by half-time and not even halved contests and ended with just nine marks inside 50 and one goal from that trio.

“Jack Ziebell tried to lift the team he will one day lead with a dynamic beginning to the third quarter. He received good support from Todd Goldstein, Ben Cunnington, Shaun Higgins and the ever-reliable veteran Brent Harvey. But that gang of four could not hope to overpower the ultra-professional Swans who know how to shut down a game when the opposition has momentum and how to punish a turnover. In the end poor conversion also hurt but a realistic assessment of the Kangaroos suggests they had too many passengers.” - Peter Ryan