Throughout the year North has been around the AFL average in kick to handball ratio; having enough run and carry without over-possessing by hand.
In the first, third and fourth quarters against the Giants, the balance was struck well. In the second term, the home side ramped up the pressure on North and as the statistics show, it forced more use of handball.
| North Melbourne, R20 | Total kicks | Total handball | Kick to handball ratio |
| Q1, Q3, Q4 | 179 | 117 | 1.53:1 |
| Q2 | 41 | 41 | 1:1 |
Another trend which was rectified at half-time was the Giants’ uncontested marks. They had 65 marks in the first half, but only 35 in the third and fourth terms. It was likely what Brad Scott was alluding to in his post-game media conference.
“We adjusted in-game to a few things that weren’t going our way, which was pleasing. We’ve had some losses this year where we haven’t been able to arrest the momentum, so that was good.”
A look back at some of North’s losses over the course of 2014 illustrates the improvement made against the Giants.
| Round, Opponent | Opposition marks 1H | Opposition marks 2H |
| 20 v GWS Giants | 65 | 35 |
| 18 v Carlton | 55 | 71 |
| 15 v Brisbane | 58 | 54 |
| 1 v Essendon | 85 | 74 |
After a couple of weeks where opposition sides were able to score frequently once inside 50, North halted the trend in the second half against the Giants.
They managed 11 scoring shots from only 19 inside 50’s in the first half, but after the main break were held to four scoring shots from 15 entries.
On an individual note, Drew Petrie turned in a strong performance against a quality opponent in Phil Davis. The key forward was the target on 10 of North Melbourne’s inside 50’s and repaid the faith of his midfielders.
In kicking five goals and setting up another three, Petrie had a direct hand in 51 of his side’s 126 points. It was the highest tally by any player for the round, edging out Adelaide’s Eddie Betts and Taylor Walker.
| Player | Total scoreboard impact, Round 20 |
| Drew Petrie | 51 points |
| Eddie Betts | 45 points |
| Taylor Walker | 45 points |
| Harry Cunningham | 36 points |
