NORTH Melbourne’s season is alive and well in the wake of its gutsy 18-point win over Collingwood in one of the games of the season at Telstra Dome.

With key players out injured, and the Magpies in form and playing for a place in the top four, the Roos overcame a wasteful start to overpower the Pies with a scintillating brand of tough, rugged football in winning 17.12 (114) to 14.12 (96).

Led by Drew Petrie, who was superb in the ruck and up forward, Daniel Wells and Brent Harvey, and a hard-nosed defence spearheaded by Michael Firrito, the Roos kicked 12 goals to seven after the main break to turn a two-goal half time deficit into a famous three-goal victory – much to the delight of the Shinboner faithful.

North started the game like a side on a mission.

The pressure, intensity and commitment to the contest were as strong as they have been all year as the side dominated possession all over the ground.

Leading the charge was Daniel Pratt, Harvey and Leigh Harding who were in everything, while down back Firrito and Josh Gibson were doing the job on Travis Cloke and Paul Medhurst respectively.

While the intensity was there, a working forward set up was not.

Despite leading the inside 50 count 10-3 midway through the term, the Roos managed just one goal and clung to a two-point lead.

Collingwood made them pay through goals to Tarkyn Lockyer and Alan Didak, and through workrate of Rhyce Shaw and Scott Pendlebury, the Pies against the trend of play jumped to an 11-point lead at the first change.

Having toiled for little reward in the first term, the Roos found the mark twice in the opening three minutes of the second to draw level – the second coming courtesy of some individual brilliance from Harvey.

The excitement machine gathered a loose ball, ran inside 50, dummied three players before dishing to Corey Jones who snapped truly.

The momentum gained was soon snatched away by three quick goals to the Pies, who, despite Travis Cloke and Paul Medhurst finding the going tough, were still finding ways to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

North’s chances took a further turn for the worse when Pratt, who’d starred early in the contest, limped off with badly rolled ankle.

With the game threatening to slip away the Roos were forced to dig deep and found precious metal with Todd Goldstein's first career goal, which brought the margin back to just 13 points at the half.

Whatever coach Dean Laidley said to his charges at half time should be bottled because his side grabbed the lead with four goals in nine minutes in a blistering start the second half.

The fluency, flow and system that had been so lacking early was suddenly on offer in spades as the Roos found space, used the open man, and importantly found the target when afforded opportunities inside its forward 50.

From nowhere the game went up a cog.

With top four on the line for the Pies, and top eight for the Roos, players from both sides threw themselves at every contest like it was their last.

Despite losing the lead momentarily after a three-goal onslaught by the Pies, Laidley’s men did not lose their nerve.

With Petrie proving a colossus in the ruck, Wells running amok in the midfield, and Pratt back to lead an underrated defence, North kicked the final three goals of the term to take a 10-point lead into three-quarter time.

After John Anthony got the Pies within three points with his third goal of the game, the Roos, in what will go down as their best win of the year, set about claiming a famous victory.

With Petrie on fire, Harvey leading opponent Marty Clarke a merry dance across half-forward and Wells using every possession with precision, the Roos kicked three unanswered goals to lead by 22 points with 10 minutes remaining.

Three minutes later Shannon Grant, who’d come back into the side after a one-week club suspension, sealed the deal when he accepted a handball over the top and ran into an open goal.

The win jumps the Roos over St Kilda and into the eight, at least for a day, with the Saints due to tackle Hawthorn at Telstra Dome on Saturday night.


North Melbourne  1.4  5.6  12.8   17.12 (114)
Collingwood  3.3  7.7  10.10  14.12  (96)

GOALS
North Melbourne: Jones 3, Petrie, Goldstein, Grant 2, Campbell, Firrito, Thomas, Ross, Harvey, Pratt, Hale, McMahon
Collingwood: Anthony 4, Wellingham, Medhurst 2, Pendlebury, Swan, Didak, O'Bree, Lockyer, Maxwell

BEST
North Melbourne: Petrie, Harvey, Firrito, Gibson, Rawlings, Wells
Collingwood: Didak, Anthony, Pendlebury, Burns

INJURIES
North Melbourne: Pratt (ankle)
Collingwood: L Davis (soreness) replaced in selected side by Wellingham

REPORTS
Nil

Umpires: McBurney, James, Jeffery
Official Crowd: 46,610 at Telstra Dome

The views in this story are those of the author and are not necessarily those of the club.