North Melbourne teammates collided on the weekend when Werribee caused one of the upsets of the season by defeating North Ballarat in the VFL.
Raging favourites going into the match, the second-placed Roosters were quickly on the back foot as the Tigers' intensity took them by surprise.
"Werribee started better, were more aggressive and used the ball more effectively than us," North development coach John Lamont told kangaroos.com.au.
"The pressure applied by the Tigers caused North Ballarat to deviate from its game plan from the outset."
Corey Jones (30 possessions, 6 marks, 3 goals) did his best to get the visitors over the line, but the Roosters fell 14 points short.
Nathan O'Keefe (15 possessions, 6 marks, 1 goal) enjoyed a solid return to the Tigers' seniors and will be searching for another chance the Kangaroos’ line-up before the season is out.
Alan Obst (20 possessions, 12 marks) spent much of the day on the dangerous Jones, as well as spending periods in the ruck, while Matthew Scott (16 possessions, 4 tackles) looks to have more than justified his spot in the midfield.
Despite the loss there were some promising efforts from several Roosters' players, including up-and-comer Warren Benjamin (7 kicks, 15 handballs, 7 tackles).
"Warren had a run-with role on Dominic Gleeson at various times throughout the match. He had to work hard so it was really good for his education as a footballer," Lamont told kangaroos.com.au
David Hale (15 possessions, 37 hit-outs) would have had his phone close by after a week to remember. He settled for just the one game on Saturday, and would have enjoyed the rest after playing close to a full game in the ruck.
Brayden Norris (18 possessions, 5 tackles) did some good things without making a huge impact, while Luke Delaney (6 possessions, 3 tackles) struggled to have an influence in defence.
In the reserves, Conor Meredith (20 possessions, 5 marks) was a strong contributor as Werribee recorded a clean sweep for the day. The Irishman was unlucky not to be playing in the later game and was quick to prove a point with a sterling effort in defence.
2009 draftee Ayden Kennedy (11 possessions, 5 marks) continues to show improvement.
Werribee Tigers 4.2 9.6 12.10 14.10-94
North Ballarat 3.2 5.7 7.9 11.15-81
Werribee Tigers
Goal Kickers: L. Baddeley 3, G. Denton 2, D. Gleeson 2, T. Bongetti, L. Garland, N. O''Keefe, W. Martiniello, M. Thorp, M. Fisher, B. Moloney
Best Players: R. Castello, B. Dickson, D. Gleeson, W. Martiniello, L. Baddeley, A. Obst
North Ballarat
Goal Kickers: C. Jones 3, D. Micallef 2, M. Greig, R. McKenzie, D. Hale, D. Feery, S. Dinnell, M. Tyler
Best Players: C. Jones, M. Sewell, C. Richardson, D. Micallef, N. Peters, M. Sharkey
