As the North Melbourne players return from their well-earned break for the bye, NMFC.com.au finishes looking back at the season so far.
Today, we review rounds 12-14 of 2016.
RELATED: Round 1-4 | Round 5-8 | Round 9-11
Round 12 v Geelong
In: Goldstein, Mullett
Out: Wright, Daw
In a clash that lived up to blockbuster status – in the first half at least - the Cats emerged from a heavyweight battle with a 15.15 (105) to 12.2 (74) victory.
Against one of the AFL's best centre clearance sides, Geelong capitalised on the absence of North skipper Andrew Swallow (concussion) and a sore Ben Cunnington (quad) to control the centre square (20-8), nullifying returning Roos ruckman Todd Goldstein's influence.
In his 421st game, Brent Harvey threatened to be the thorn in Geelong's side with the evergreen veteran igniting the Kangas with four goals – three in the second term – as Brad Scott's men took a hard-fought 10-point lead into half-time.
But Geelong ran riot after the main break, booting seven goals in a thrilling third-term and outscoring the Kangas 10 goals to four for the second half and inflicting only North Melbourne's second loss for the season.
Daniel Wells started brightly for the Roos and fought against the tide all match, finishing with 31 touches, while Sam Gibson (34) and Jack Ziebell (22, two goals) never gave up the fight.
While the Roos were dominated in the third quarter, a Mason Wood goal after the siren breathed some life into the contest briefly, but from 15 points down at the final change Brad Scott's men couldn't mount a comeback.
It was Dangerfield though who booted the match-sealer at the 17-minute mark of the final term, slotting his second major from 45m to extend the lead to 29 points and extinguish the Roos' challenge.
The coach said
"It was certainly one of those nights on the injury front, but I couldn’t say with any certainty whether that impacted the result.
"We still hung in there and Geelong played some really scintillating footy at various stages, so they certainly deserved their win regardless of our circumstances." – Brad Scott
The player said
“We couldn’t control it (the ball) at all, once we got it we were kicking it long and kicking it back to the contest.
“We needed to steady the ship a little bit and unfortunately we couldn’t do that. That was the difference in the end, that 10-minute period.” – Jamie Macmillan
The media said
“Perspective after Saturday night is needed. Andrew Swallow sat early with concussion, Ben Cunnington couldn’t run, Nick Dal Santo was sore in the groin, Shaun Atley had an ankle and Robbie Nahas had a bone sticking out of his finger at one stage.” – Mark Robinson
Geelong: 4.4.28, 5.9.39, 12.11.83, 15.15.105
North Melbourne: 4.0.24, 8.1.49, 11.2.68, 12.2.74
GOALS
Geelong: Menzel 4, Kersten 3, Bartel 2, Dangerfield 2, Lang, Caddy, Duncan, Motlop
North Melbourne: Harvey 4, Ziebell 2, Petrie 2, Wood 2, McDonald, Thomas,
BEST
Geelong: Dangerfield, Enright, Selwood, Menzel, Taylor, Bartel
North Melbourne: Wells, Ziebell, Tarrant, Harvey, Gibson
AFLCA Votes: Dangerfield 10, Selwood 8, Menzel 5, Taylor 4, Gibson 2, Wells 1
Official crowd: 44,025 at Etihad Stadium
Round 13 v Hawthorn
In: Ray, Daw, Dumont, Wagner
Out: Waite, Swallow, Cunnington, Nahas
It didn't take long for tempers to reach boiling point.
Leading the Roos for the first time in Andrew Swallow's absence, Jack Ziebell laid a heavy bump on Sam Mitchell, sparking a melee as the Hawks charged forward and drew first blood through Isaac Smith.
Ziebell was in everything early, leading the way with his aggression and driving home a team-lifting 50m bomb as North dominated the opening exchanges.
The Roos should've led by more than 15 points at the first change after repeated 50m entries (20-8) and extreme pressure shook Hawthorn's experienced backline.
Although North held a slender two-point lead heading into the rooms at half-time, the Hawks were starting to gain the ascendancy.
A five-goal-to-three third term gave Alastair Clarkson's men a handy seven-point buffer at the final break and they held on.
Jordan Lewis (31 disposals, one goal) was superb in the heat of battle, while Sam Mitchell (27) overcame Trent Dumont's attention and Taylor Duryea put the clamps on Brent Harvey (13, one goal).
Hawthorn's leading goalkicker Jack Gunston went goalless and was blanketed brilliantly by All Australian chance Robbie Tarrant, but James Sicily stepped up when it counted, booting five goals.
Daniel Wells continued his resurgence for the Roos, finishing with 30 touches and nine clearances, while Lindsay Thomas and Drew Petrie booted three goals each – including one each in the frantic final term, but it wasn't enough for the Roos to avoid a bitter loss.
The media said
“A spark was always going to make this game combustible, and acting Kangaroos captain Jack Ziebell provided it within the first three minutes.” – Glenn McFarlane
North Melbourne: 3.5.23, 4.11.35, 7.15.57, 11.18.84
Hawthorn: 1.2.8, 5.3.33, 10.4.64, 14.9.93
GOALS
North Melbourne: Thomas 3, Petrie 3, Wood 2, Brown, Harvey, Ziebell
Hawthorn: Sicily 5, Rioli 2, Hartung 2, O'Brien, Breust, Smith, Lewis, Puopolo
BEST
North Melbourne: Wells, Tarrant, Dal Santo, Wood, Atley, Ziebell
Hawthorn: Sicily, Mitchell, Duryea, Lewis, Rioli, Birchall
AFLCA Votes: Tarrant 9, Sicily 8, Lewis 7, Wells 4, Rioli 1, Wood 1
Official crowd: 37,073 at Etihad Stadium
Round 14 v Adelaide
In: Swallow, Cunnington, Nahas (late inclusion)
Out: Wells, McDonald, Daw (late exclusion)
Scoring before a much-hyped storm (that never arrived) loomed crucial, and Adelaide had ample opportunity to heap on scoreboard pressure, but a tricky breeze and already damp conditions proved challenging.
The Crows could manage just three goals from their 11 opening-term scoring shots.
North found the going easier at the scoreboard end early in the second quarter - with Sam Gibson and Ben Brown booting goals early in the term.
Mason Wood kicked another before Lindsay Thomas swooped on a terrible, deep defensive Crows’ turnover to tie the scores.
The Kangaroos dominated possession in the second quarter with 15 inside 50s to eight and, coupled with Adelaide’s continued struggles in attack, hit the lead late through veteran Brent Harvey.
Thomas ended Adelaide’s three-goal run that started the second half with an extraordinary show of skill - summing up his options before nailing a checkside from the tightest of angles.
With the match on the line in the final quarter Adelaide looked the side with greater run, as might have been expected given its week off compared to North’s six-day break.
After Kangaroo Todd Goldstein missed a crucial snap from close range, the Crows sealed the deal with majors to Atkins, Richard Douglas and then Matt Crouch.
The coach said
“We were really disappointed with the start, I thought we didn’t play the conditions well at all.
“The Crows lifted in the midfield [after half-time], I thought led by Rory Sloane and Scott Thompson.
“They really turned the contested ball numbers around which were in our favour pretty strongly at half-time.” – Brad Scott
The player said
“We still feel like, although we’ve lost a few, we’ve really been able to match it - Sydney was the disappointing one.
“We think we’re still around the mark and still quietly confident that we can make a run at it this year.” – Andrew Swallow
The media said
“The Roos have now not beaten the Crows at Adelaide Oval or Football Park in their past nine attempts, dating back to round 21, 2003.
“They fought hard and had strong contributions from midfielders Jack Ziebell, Andrew Swallow and Ben Cunnington while Lindsay Thomas was lively in attack, kicking three goals.” – Andrew Capel
Adelaide: 3.8.26, 4.13.37, 8.18.66, 12.28.100
North Melbourne: 1.2.8, 6.5.41, 9.6.60, 10.7.67
GOALS
Adelaide: Betts 2, Walker 2, M.Crouch 2, Douglas 2, Lynch, McGovern, Jenkins, Atkins.
North Melbourne: Thomas 3, Brown 2, Wood, Harvey, Ziebell, Gibson, Petrie.
BEST
Adelaide: M.Crouch, Sloane, Laird, Atkins, Talia, Lever, Lynch
North Melbourne: Cunnington, Ziebell, Brown, Thomas
AFLCA Votes: M Crouch 9, Sloane 9, Thompson (Adelaide) 4, Lynch 3, Cunnington 2, Lever 2, Talia 1
Official crowd: 37,890 at Adelaide Oval
The entire 2016 season will be relived at the Syd Barker Medal on October 7 at Peninsula on Central Pier. Book your tickets now.
