With all good wins, comes good performances, and North’s victory over Sydney on Saturday night was no exception.
Multiple players record career-best numbers in key statistical categories, while others stood tall and helped North over the line.
Ben Jacobs | 29 disposals | 9 tackles | 6 marks
A prolific ball-winner as a junior, Ben Jacobs was able to exhibit his attacking prowess given he was not forced to tag a Sydney opponent.
Jacobs was North’s second-highest disposal getter, racking up 29 touches, which included a career-high 19 handballs.
The stats shouldn’t come as a surprise to fans, given the 26-year-old has found more and more of the ball in recent weeks, with 23, 19 and 11 disposals in the previous three weeks, despite playing the role of a tagger.
Defensively, Jacobs was also strong, laying nine tackles in 83 per cent game time.
Mason Wood | 17 disposals | 4 goals | 9 marks
Mason Wood made a near-perfect return after almost two months in the VFL.
Despite his game being remembered for his match-winning goal, his impact was felt for much longer than that five second passage of play.
Wood provided a strong target up the ground, using his height, agility and stamina to impact a number of contests.
Of his nine marks, four were contested, setting a personal best for the 27-gamer.
The forward kicked the first and last goal of the game, as well as two in-between, setting a new career-high number of goals.
Shaun Higgins | 31 disposals | 5 clearances | 1 goal
After missing Round 6 via concussion, some were concerned with how Shaun Higgins would bounce back against the Swans.
The reigning Syd Barker Medallist was quick to silence the doubters, collecting 12 disposals in the first quarter.
Higgins, never one to waste the ball, ran at 83.9 per cent disposal efficiency, with 16 of his disposals kicks, while the remaining 15 were by hand.
With what is likely to be another best on ground performance, Higgins is making his mark on the competition.
Trent Dumont | 22 disposals | 7 marks | 4 tackles
Trent Dumont equalled a new career-best on Saturday night, with his seven marks matching his performances from Rounds 20 and 23 in 2016.
A player that is happier to lend a hand in defence than kick a goal, Dumont’s impact doesn’t go unnoticed by his teammates, who are grateful for the role he plays.
Behind Ben Jacobs, Dumont laid the second most amount of tackles for North on the weekend, living-up to his hard-nosed reputation.
Ben Cunnington | 24 disposals | 6 marks | 5 clearances
26-year-old Ben Cunnington is likely to be in the votes once again, following a 24 disposal game, which included 11 contested possessions.
The midfielder is the fifth best contested ball winner in the competition, sitting behind the likes of Patrick Cripps and Nat Fyfe.
His six marks were a season-high for him, and his five clearances put him at the top of North’s clearance winners.
Jed Anderson | 24 disposals | 5 marks | 3 clearances
Midfielder Jed Anderson continues to improve week-by-week, with his 24 disposals the highest of his career so far.
His 15 handballs were also a career-best, while his five marks were another all-time high for the 24-year-old.
Anderson is one of the young, emerging players that is being praised by North’s coaches and players, for his ability to step-up and relieve the pressure on the likes of Jack Ziebell.
