NORTH Melbourne has followed up its brave NAB Cup exit last weekend with a convincing 32-point NAB Challenge victory over the Brisbane Lions at MC Labour Park in Melbourne.
In front of a small crowd and in somewhat blustery conditions, the Kangaroos conceded the first goal of the game before kicking 11 unanswered goals, leaving the contest as good as over by half time.
Clever forward Corey Jones did most of the damage for the ‘hosts’, booting three first-half goals in a final tally of four, while the wise old heads of Brent Harvey, Shannon Grant and Adam Simpson helped control the midfield.
Midfielder Gavin Urquhart, 19, looked promising, chalking up a goal in the third term to round off a strong performance, while Leigh Harding worked hard in an unusually defensive role.
Fewer positives emerged from the match for the Lions, although Leigh Matthews won’t be too concerned given that his side was missing numerous first team regulars. Of those who did front, Tim Notting was the standout with three goals, while Albert Proud did his senior selection claims no harm with an impressive 29-posession display.
Young Lions forward Lachie Henderson opened the scoring with a fine goal but from then on it was something of whitewash, with the Roos quickly dictating terms in nearly every position as the Lions failed to keep pace.
North Melbourne finished with six goals for the first term – including two each to Jones and Leigh Brown – but their 31-point lead could have been greater had they been more accurate in attack.
Enigmatic midfielder Rhan Hooper typified the Lions’ woes on the stroke of quarter time, grabbing the ball on the half-back flank before inexplicably passing backwards and straight in the arms of Brown, who gleefully converted from 35 metres.
The pattern of play was virtually the same in the second term, albeit at a slightly more defensive tempo, with the Lions adding just three points to their tally. The highlight of the quarter was a sparkling piece of individual play from Harvey, whose creativity and vision helped set up Matt Campbell for his first of the day.
The 50-point half-time lead ensured the sting was well and truly out of the game heading into the third term, and while the Kangaroos added two more, the Lions could only manage one goal just before three-quarter time, ending more than two quarters of play without a goal.
With little to play for, the final term saw the visitors regain some credibility by outscoring the Kangaroos five goals to two, with Notting grabbing two more to ensconce himself as his side’s best performer.
The Lions now head to Carrara for their clash with the loser of the St Kilda-Geelong game, while the Kangaroos face a road trip to Adelaide or Perth, where they will face the loser of the Crows-Dockers match.
North Melbourne 6.7, 9.6, 11.7, 13.7 (85)
Brisbane Lions 1.1, 1.4, 2.7, 7.11 (53)
BEST
North Melbourne: Jones, Harvey, Simpson, Grant, Thompson
Brisbane Lions: Notting, Proud
GOALS
North Melbourne: Jones 4, Brown 2, Campbell 2, Thomas, Grant, Edwards, Urquhart, McMahon
Brisbane Lions: Notting 3, Henderson, Mills, Kiel, Corrie
Injuries: None
Reports: None
Crowd: 1500 est.
