Match result: North Ballarat 5.3.33 defeated by Footscray 27.17.179
Venue: Whitten Oval
Conditions: Clear

In action:

Aaron Black (12 disposals, 1 goal, 2 inside-50s)
Sam Durdin (15 disposals, 10 one percenters, 9 spoils)
Aaron Mullett (17 disposals)
Braydon Preuss (7 hit outs, 1 spoil) - first half only
Joel Tippett (7 disposals, 4 marks) - first half only
Max Warren (19 disposals, 6 marks, 1 clearance)

NMFC.com.au’s best:

Max Warren

Match-ups:

Durdin v Redpath
Preuss v Campbell/Minson
Warren v Hrovat

Story of the game:

This clash won’t be one for the highlights reel and a match the Roosters will want to quickly forget.

North Ballarat was simply outclassed on the day, dominated by Footscray, who had the benefit of a large number of AFL-listed players.

Development Manager Ben Dyer said there were understandably few positives to take out of the encounter.

"The footy was just played at one end of the ground most of the time," Dyer said.

"When you don’t really get a good look at it, it can be hard. To their (the North-listed players) credit, they kept their heads up and did what they could do."

Points of interest:

1. With the ball spending the majority of the game in Footscray’s half, Aaron Black spent plenty of time out of position to try and find some touch.

"He started forward early and the ball just didn’t get down there in the first quarter, as you can imagine," Dyer said.

"We bought him up to the wing, and he even went back in the third quarter. He found it a little more when he went down there, but he didn’t get an opportunity to get a run at it and play the sort of footy we know he can play."

2. Aaron Mullett made it through his second full game at VFL level unscathed, as he looks to make a return from pre-season shoulder surgery.

Dyer said Mullett looked threatening at times and kept battling hard through wave after wave of Footscray attacks.

"When he got it, he was one of the few who looked like he could penetrate," Dyer said.

"Between him and Max (Warren) they looked like the only two who could break a line and get it over the press the Dogs employ."

3. Dogs' ruckman Will Minson faces a nervous week ahead, set to face the tribunal for making contact with an umpire in the second quarter.

Minson was also red carded, meaning he could take no further part in the game.

Most likely call-up: Aaron Mullett
Next week: Saturday May 30 v Port Melbourne, 2pm at North Port Oval