1. Roos' Blundstone bastion
As shaky as things looked for the Roos in the first half of Saturday's game, their 14-goal-to-five second half ensured they completed their three 2015 Hobart games with a perfect record. The Roos' 37-point win over the Saints followed their impressive wins over Richmond in round six and West Coast in round 10 at Blundstone Arena. It also stretched their winning streak at Blundstone to six, with their overall record at their Hobart home away from home now an imposing 7-2. No wonder North CEO Carl Dilena said recently the club is keen to extend its Hobart deal for another five years beyond its current contract, which expires at the end of next season.
2. Drew lifts Roos to nine-goal third term
Nothing summed up the second-half transformation that came over Saturday's game like Drew Petrie's speccy at the 20-minute mark of the third term. One of North's few winners in a lacklustre first half that had it 20 points down at the main break, Petrie had just a minute earlier goaled to put the Roos within three points. And when he soared over Saints defenders Hugh Goddard and Sam Fisher, and clunked the ball with his arms stretched to their full height, it seemed North had woken from its first-half slumber. The key forward duly converted his set shot from 35m for his fourth major – and third of the quarter – to put the Roos nine points up. From that point the Roos were never challenged again, piling on another six goals to the Saints' three to complete a 57-point second-half turnaround.
3. Ziebell to face MRP
North Melbourne vice-captain Jack Ziebell is again set to come under the scrutiny of the Match Review Panel after he was reported for a sloppy spoiling attempt on Saint Jack Newnes midway through the second quarter. Ziebell caught Newnes high with a swinging right arm that put the Saint to the ground momentarily. However, Newnes was able to take his kick and, with the benefit of a 50m penalty, goaled to put the Saints 17 points up. Ziebell was suspended three times for bumps from 2012-13, but has not been suspended since, which for the purposes of the new MRP system gives him a clean record.
4. Saints second-quarter goalkicking sins
St Kilda completely controlled general play in the second term, pumping the ball inside their forward 50 22 times to North's five entries. However, the Saints failed to take advantage of their dominance, kicking 3.8 for the term. Skipper Nick Riewoldt and Darren Minchington were the chief culprits with two behinds each as the Saints kept the Roos in the game with their wastefulness. Only a late goal to Tom Hickey, after a strong mark over Lachy Hansen, allowed the Saints to stretch their lead to 20 points at half-time. Remarkably, they only won the term by 12 points. Their extravagance would bite them badly in the second half.
5. The Roos' handball happy opening
North started Saturday's game well enough, kicking the opening two goals of the game. But the Roos soon struggled to move the ball as the Saints upped their pressure all over the ground. North finished the quarter with just 36 kicks to 57 handballs, a ratio of 0.63 that is the second lowest of any team in a quarter so far this season. When they did get their foot on the ball, the Roos struggled to hit a target, a failing reflected in the fact they took just eight uncontested marks for the quarter compared to St Kilda's 25. The Saints capitalised on their control of general play to kick the final three goals of the term, taking an eight-point lead into the first break.
