North’s nine-point loss was described as ‘gutsy’, as the Swans overcame the Roos in Tasmania.

It was a tense match at a packed Blundstone Arena and the media have had their say on the encounter, a match where the Roos would have been disappointed to miss out on the four points.

AFL.com.au

“Heavy collisions and desperate tackling typified the opening exchanges and by quarter-time the tackle count (24-23 in favour of the Kangaroos) was evidence of the tight nature of the contest.” – Stu Warren

Herald Sun

“It was ugly, it was tense. The pressure was on, particularly on North.” – Eliza Sewell

AAP

“The pace was at times frenetic, including an even third term that produced five goals for each side, but the Swans maintained the upper hand.”

Nick Dal Santo and Brent Harvey collected plenty of praise for their performances in Hobart.

Herald Sun

“The Kangaroos stayed in the game early through the class of midfielder Dal Santo who kicked two late quarter goals, he covered the length of the ground to play a crucial role in defence too.” – Eliza Sewell

AFL.com.au

“Harvey added three goals and two behinds of his own and loomed as the potential spark the Roos desperately needed as they hunted victory during a frantic final term. His 32 disposals led the way for North and with 14 of them contested, he trailed only skipper Andrew Swallow in that department.” – Stu Warren

And while it is still mathematically possible for the Roos to miss the eight, those covering the game don’t expect the eight to change.

Herald Sun

“As for the Kangaroos, nothing changes: win, lose or draw after Melbourne’s shock 20-point loss to Carlton on Sunday. St Kilda could draw level on wins (12), but would need to set a new VFL-AFL record winning margin of 300-plus points to make up the mammoth percentage margin.” – Gilbert Gardiner

Who features in Round 23’s clash with the Giants will also be a big talking point this week.

The Age

“The Kangaroos face a balancing act at selection as they weigh up how many of their injured stars they can bring back for what is potentially a must-win game. Jarrad Waite, Shaun Higgins and Luke McDonald have all played little football in the second half of the season.” – Andrew Wu