Ahead of North Melbourne’s clash with “that team” on Saturday, we take a look a back at the long history of the bitter rivalry and how it all began.
Pre-VFL era
Despite forming in 1869, North was denied entry into the then VFL competition for many years, with “that team” heavily opposed for fear of losing talent and supporters to the neighboring Shinboners.
In 1921, “that team” announced a plan to move to the North Melbourne Recreation Reserve, forcing North to attempt a merger. An agreement was unable to be struck and the move was disbanded, but not before North champions such as Syd Barker would end up on “that team”.
North would finally gain entry to the VFL in 1925.
North Melbourne champion, Syd Barker.
VFL era
North made its first ever Grand Final in 1950, and in its way was “that team”. Unfortunately North lost to the tune of 38-point winners in front 87, 601 fans.
In 1958, the two sides were a part of a headcount controversy, the second of three in league history.
As John Waddington ran off the bench while Bryan Martyn was receiving treatment on the field, “that team” believed the Roos’ had an extra man on the turf; a discretion that if found guilty of, would mean their score would be erased.
“That team’s” captain, Jack Clarke, alerted the umpires, and the Kangaroos lined up for a headcount.
North was cleared of any wrongdoing, and “that team’s” coach Dick Reynolds declared he had nothing to do with the embarrassing blunder.
The rivalry would flare up again in the 1980s.
In 1982, the Krakouer brothers led the Roos to an Elimination Final win.
“That team” had revenge a year later, winning a Preliminary Final by 86 points.
AFL era
The late 1990s and early 2000s was undoubtedly the height of the rivalry, with both at the peak of their powers and competing for premierships.
In 1993, Denis Pagan’s young joeys met Kevin Sheedy’s mob in a top of the table clash that would take the rivalry to new levels. Led by the emerging Wayne Carey, the Roos won the match by 38 points. But “that team” had the last laugh, eventually winning the premiership.
The sides were a within a kick of meeting in a Grand Final in 1996, with “that team” defeated by Sydney by a point in in their Preliminary Final. North would go onto beat the Swans for its third premiership.
In 1998, despite losing six of their last eight to the Roos, Kevin Sheedy publicly labelled North executives Greg Miller and Mark Dawson soft.
"He'd be a pink marshmallow, Dawson," Sheedy said.
"Miller would be a white marshmallow. That's about where I see those two softies."
Sheedy’s comments led to a much-hyped Qualifying Final, with the Roos triumphing, and Sheedy famously pelted with marshmallows.
The sides were one game away from a Grand Final match-up again in 1999, but the premiership-favourites were upstaged by Carlton in their Preliminary. North would go on to beat the Blues and claim its fourth flag.
The tides would soon turn in “that team’s” favour however the following year, when it won a Qualifying Final by 125 points, and staged the game’s greatest ever comeback (69 points) in 2001.
The next time the sides would face off in a final would be 2014, with “that team” leading by 27 points at half-time.
The Roos staged a famous comeback however, with rookie Ben Brown kicking 4 goals, and Drew Petrie’s ‘Frank the Tank’ celebration living long in the memory of North fans.
