Plays of the Week: Round 5
kangaroos.com.au surveyed the club’s social media fans to help collaborate the top five moments from the win. Vote now.
It won’t go down as one of the greatest North games in recent times, but Saturday’s battle against the Gold Coast still produced its share of highlights.
kangaroos.com.au surveyed the club’s social media fans to help collaborate the top five moments from the win.
Now it’s over to you.
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PRESS PLAY above to view the five best highlights from Round 5, then register your vote below.
Shaun Atley saves a goal
With around 15 seconds remaining in the first term, North is on the attack. Michael Firrito centres the ball to Aaron Mullett whose attempt to evade a Charlie Dixon tackle proves unsuccessful. Turnover. Brandon Matera gathers the ball across half-back and looks forward to see Harley Bennell and Shaun Atley as the only players in front of him.
He kicks the ball in front of Bennnell giving him the perfect chance to run on and kick a late goal, but Atley has other ideas. Starting a long way behind his opponent, he puts on the after-burners and bridges the gap. Bennell gets a bad bounce and Atley is quick to pounce, collecting the ball before breaking a tackle and clearing with composure.
Aaron Edwards smother, mark and goal
The Suns have been on top in the early stages of the second quarter and a Jared Brennan switch looks to have them on the verge of a counter-attack.
Enter Aaron Edwards. The North forward works hard to get around a Matt Shaw shepherd, before forcing Matthew Warnock to the boundary with his pressure. Leigh Adams is there to lend a hand as Warnock doubles back and dishes a handball to Shaw. With nowhere to go due to the pressure of the two Kangaroos, the Suns’ player tries to kick down the line but is smothered by Edwards. The ball rebounds to Robbie Tarrant who cops a high tackle.
While Tarrant readies to take his kick, Edwards has the presence of mind to push to the goal-square and create a marking option. Though clearly exhausted from his previous effort, he manages to get a metre on Warnock and takes a contested mark over Charlie Dixon. He calmly steps back and kicks his team 11-points clear from close-range.
Kieran Harper and Lindsay Thomas combine
Just four-points separate the teams when Ryan Bastinac gets a clearing handball out of defence to Jamie Macmillan. Kieran Harper has run hard to receive a handball on the wing and delivers a short pass to Drew Petrie at centre-half forward.
Pursued by David Swallow, Harper keeps running. Meanwhile Petrie kicks long to the forward pocket into space and Lindsay Thomas, under extreme pressure, is the first man to the ball. Meanwhile Harper has broken 10 metres away from his opponent.
Summing up the situation perfectly, Thomas spots Harper on his inside and taps the ball brilliantly into his path. Harper doesn’t need to break stride and runs into an open goal.
Brent Harvey assist, Jamie Macmillan long goal
North needs a goal to assert its authority on the game with only 11-points separating the teams early in the third when Sun Jared Brennan prepares to kick-out. Brennan plays on but kicks poorly and no-one is able to mark.
At the back of the pack, Brent Harvey gathers the crumbs and he handballs toward Ben Cunnington. Under pressure, Cunnington gives it back to Harvey and he pushes off his opponent Sam Iles, sums up the situation and delivers another handball to Jamie Macmillan in space.
The youngster runs to 50 and bombs a long goal that brings the crowd to its feet.
Lindsay Thomas sells the dummy
North holds a 46-point lead in the final term and the game is all but sewn up. Jack Ziebell gets a handball to Shaun Atley across half-back and the number 18 has plenty of space, taking two bounces before kicking the ball inside 50.
Atley is unable to find a target as the ball slips through the hands of Liam Anthony, but the number 4 recovers and dishes to Lindsay Thomas 45 metres out.
After an unflattering final term from the Kangaroos, Thomas brings Etihad Stadium to life once again, selling the dummy to the Suns’ Seb Tape before kicking a terrific goal.
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