PRESS PLAY to watch Daniel Wells' Goal of the Year | YouTube
A high scoring first half led to an 11-point lead for the home team at the long break. Saverio Rocca was keeping the Kangaroos in the game with four first-half goals while leading Dockers defender Scott Thornton on a merry dance.
It was evenly poised when the second half started, yet two quick goals to Fremantle seemed to break the game open. It was all over North with a four-goal lead and it appeared to be just a matter of time before the margin became insurmountable.
There was a series of 50-50 contests all over the ground over the next few minutes that proved crucial. At any stage, if Fremantle had taken the ball away, it could have resulted in another back-breaking goal to extend the margin to five goals and beyond.
One contest in particular involved Michael Stevens deep in the defensive 50. Outnumbered, he fought desperately to keep the ball locked in. He was successful, North ended up rebounding once and again soon after. It gave the visitors an edge and Fremantle would not score for the rest of the third quarter.
When Daniel Motlop took a strong pack mark and converted truly for North's first goal of the second half, it signified the start of a run which saw the Roos kick seven out of the last eight goals for the game.
At the final break the deficit was just eight points and the momentum continued for North. Despite having all of the play, it was still trailing by a point with eight minutes to go. Daniel Wells then stood up.
Winning the ball on the wing, he delivered a lace-out pass on the left foot to Shannon Grant. He then kept running into the pocket and received the ball back. From a tight angle he made no mistake and North had the lead for the first time since the second quarter.
There was one final twist in the game. North had the momentum, but Fremantle pushed forward and through former Roo Peter Bell, took the lead back just a minute after it had lost it. Undeterred, the Kangaroos weren’t to be denied. A quick reply to Rocca, North had the lead again and wasn’t headed.
Daniel Wells popped up for the 2004 Goal of the Year, coming from nowhere, he leapt into the air, took the ball in flight and goaled to seal the game and secure a second straight comeback win for the Kangaroos.
PRESS PLAY above to watch the goal | YouTube
Fremantle 6.2.38, 9.4.58, 11.5.71, 12.7.79
North Melbourne 4.2.26, 7.5.47, 9.9.63, 14.12.96
Goals
Fremantle: Bell 2, Farmer 2, Headland 2, McManus 2, Pavlich 2, Grover 1, Longmuir 1
North Melbourne: Rocca 6, Motlop 4, Wells 2, Harris 1, Makepeace 1
Brownlow Medal
3 - David King (NM), 2 - Byron Schammer (FRE), 1 - Saverio Rocca (NM)
