North Melbourne was able to leave Etihad Stadium with an 11-point victory over Essendon despite an uncharacteristic performance in front of goal.

Heading into Round 7, the Kangaroos were one of the most accurate sides from set shots, ranking second. They were also converting at a blistering rate from long range, with goals from almost three quarters of their shots from outside 50.

However under the roof on Friday night was an exception, with a total of 7.11 kicked from set shots for the game.

All statistics courtesy of Champion Data.

It shapes as a one-off considering the Roos’ accuracy of the first six rounds. Even allowing for the radar being slightly askew, they were still able to have more set shot attempts than any club for the weekend, indicating the forward setup is working well.

In the post-match wrap for Round 6, NMFC.com.au noted how Lachlan Hansen’s return coincided with a much better team defensive performance. Not coincidentally, the trend continued against the Bombers, with North able to repel the opposition’s inside 50’s on a much more frequent basis than the first five rounds.

Hansen has taken a whopping 25 marks in his first two games for the season, even after being substituted at the final change against the Tigers in Hobart.

Over the same time period, Drew Petrie has taken 22, albeit in vastly different roles from match to match. Against Richmond he played as a higher forward, before being swung back for periods of the final term against the Bombers with superb results.

Petrie took four intercept marks against Essendon in the last quarter alone and also won a free kick deep in the heart of defence to thwart the Bombers’ final stand, sealing his team’s victory.

Combined, the duo have posed an aerial threat that not too many teams possess, with the added flexibility of being able to play in multiple roles a bonus for North’s structure.

In the middle of the ground, the Roos won the contested possession count, cementing their status as one of the top teams at winning the hard ball.

On Saturday, the current premier team in the competition awaits, with an undefeated Fremantle hosting North at Domain Stadium.

The Dockers have taken all before them in the first seven rounds, having already beaten the likes of Port Adelaide, Sydney and also comfortably defeating Geelong at Simonds Stadium by 44 points.