An undefeated Port Adelaide was one of the early surprise packets of the year, registering five straight wins. However it ran into a determined North side at Blundstone Arena.
After conceding the first goal, the Kangaroos reeled off eight consecutive majors to jump out to a 39-point lead early in the second quarter.
Although there were some tense moments late in the game, the lead never dipped into single figures and win number two was on the board.
In the lead-up to Round 7’s clash against the Western Bulldogs, the focus was shifted to the return of Brent Harvey. After serving his six-match suspension, Harvey dispelled any doubts over whether he still had it extremely early in the match.
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However the big story to come out of the game was Majak Daw’s performance. Feasting on quality service from the midfield, he kicked six goals in a man of the match effort.
Daw was part of a superb run by North late in the third and early in the last quarters. It kicked 11 out of 13 goals to turn a three-point deficit into a 52 point lead; the eventual winning margin was 54 for the club’s second consecutive victory of the season.
A six day break was the preparation for the first trip to Patersons Stadium. A marquee match-up under the Friday night lights at West Coast produced yet another enthralling encounter.
All the attention was focused on Daw versus Nic Naitanui and the duo matched up at multiple centre bounces.
Structurally for North, it found a key piece of its side going forward. After a promising return down back against the Bulldogs, Lachlan Hansen was best afield against West Coast. He took 15 marks and had 20 disposals.
With a lead late in the game, the result again went down to the siren – and in this case, after it. Naitanui soared from deep in a pack to take a mark inside West Coast’s forward 50. He measured his shot for goal as the siren sounded, kicking truly to give his side a memorable win.
A nine-day break following the loss to the Eagles provided sufficient chance for the players to lick their wounds. It appeared being back at Etihad Stadium was the tonic needed as North jumped out to a 39-point lead early in the second quarter against Adelaide.
From there the game turned into a wild, see-sawing encounter with significant swings of momentum to both sides. Nevertheless, it still appeared North had the game under relative control, leading by 30 points half-way through the final term.
In a stunning end to the game, the Crows kicked the final five goals. Jared Petrenko’s major in the 30th minute of the final term gave the Crows his side their first lead of the game, condemning North to another heartbreaking defeat.
After the stunning loss, North had to pick itself up and prepare for a major milestone game against St Kilda in the first week of June.
