For the second consecutive match, the Kangaroos rectified their style of play at the long break and came out with dominant third and fourth terms.
In the second quarter, the Bulldogs threw more numbers around the ball and increased their pressure, unsettling a North side which had been on top early on. It was reflected in the disposal numbers for each quarter.
| Round 21 | Kicks | Handballs | Total disposals |
| NMFC, Q1 | 65 | 55 | 120 |
| NMFC, Q2 | 38 | 40 | 78 |
In the second quarter, another indicator of the pressure North was feeling from the Bulldogs was the amount of times it was forced to kick long to clear the defensive 50.
On average, one third of North’s kicks this season have been long. However on Sunday, almost half of its disposal by foot in the second quarter fit into that category. Naturally the rushed kicks resulted in more turnovers, and comparing the disposal type in the second and third quarters paints an intriguing picture.
| Round 21 | % of long kicks | Total turnovers |
| NMFC, Q2 | 44.7% | 24 |
| NMFC, Q3 | 27.4% | 15 |
The renewed focus on maintaining possession allowed North to work through the Bulldogs’ pressure more often after half-time, and it could control the flow of the game.
In its previous three wins against the Bulldogs, the Kangaroos had dominated time in possession in the second half. It happened for a fourth consecutive occasion on Sunday.
| Time in possession | First half | Second half |
| North Melbourne | +1min:11sec | +8min:03sec |
| Western Bulldogs | -1min:11sec | -8min:03sec |
To provide context to the time in possession numbers, currently Port Adelaide leads the statistic for the 2014 season. The Power average +2min:48sec over a full game – North was +8min:03sec in just one half, an astounding effort.
It meant that when the Kangaroos were defending, there was extra pressure on the Bulldogs to make their forward entries count, given they had such little time with the Sherrin.
The visitors still managed a total of 31 inside 50’s in the second half, on face-value a decent number. But because the opposition had been able to set up well while in possession, the Bulldogs delivered 13 of those inside 50’s straight to North players.
| Round 21, second half | Inside 50's | Entries to opposition | Total % (AFL average) |
| Western Bulldogs | 31 | 13 | 41.9% (32.4%) |
The fact Brad Scott’s team has been able to adjust at half-time twice in the last two weeks is a promising sign with finals just around the corner.
