Match result

Essendon 19.19.133 defeats North Melbourne 10.7.67

In action

AFL-listed
Alex Morgan (9 disposals), Ben McKay (15 disposals, 7 marks), Daniel Nielson (5 disposals, 3 marks), Sam Durdin (17 disposals, 6 marks), Will Walker (15 disposals, 3 tackles), Nathan Hrovat (12 disposals, 2 goals, 3 tackles), Kyron Hayden (8 disposals), Tom Murphy (15 disposals, 4 marks), Oscar Junker (10 disposals, 2 goals), Nick Larkey (7 disposals, 4 marks, 1 goal), Braydon Preuss (9 disposals, 1 goal), Luke Davies-Uniacke (18 disposals, 4 tackles), Josh Williams (14 disposals, 4 marks), Tom Jeffries (5 disposals, 3 tackles, 1 goal) 

VFL-listed
Mitch Rodd (12 disposals, 4 marks, 1 goal), Steve Stroobants (9 disposals, 1 goal), Nick Rippon (20 disposals, 5 marks, 7 tackles), Tyrone Leonardis (16 disposals, 5 marks), Chris Jansen (23 disposals, 10 tackles), Michael Close (8 disposals, 6 marks), Jordan Harper (16 disposals), Nash Holmes (20 disposals, 1 goal) 

Story of the game

North Melbourne has fallen to a rampant Essendon, who ran out as 71-point winners at Windy Hill. The hosts had 14 individual goal-kickers. 

All eyes were on North’s tall forwards, but it was the smaller goal sneaks in Nathan Hrovat and Nash Holmes that provided firepower early.

To their credit, the Bombers responded and worked their way back into the contest, kicking six goals to one in the second term.

Majors from Danny Younan and Heath Hocking allowed the home side to stay in contention, before eventually hitting the lead in the second term.

Aaron Francis turned heads on the back of some crafty forward play to lift Essendon, which was unrelenting once it gathered momentum.

Despite trailing by 25 points at the main break, the resolve of North’s side shone through, as they rallied to bring the margin to within 10 points in the third term.

A comeback appeared to be on the cards when an unmanned Hrovat raced into an open goal square to kick his second. However, North’s good work was undone in a ten-minute spell which saw Essendon boot four unanswered goals to put the result beyond doubt. Consolation goals followed minutes before the final siren from Braydon Preuss and Steve Stroobants, with the latter getting his first on debut.

North coach David Loader was disappointed with the team's performance on a day where the emerging youngsters were given an opportunity to step up.

“I thought we were really poor in patches today,” Loader told North Media.

“We probably played only about 10 or 15 minutes of football to the style that we want to play and the effort we want to play with.

“We did that in the third quarter… where we played to our method a bit better. I think we had a shot on goal to bring it back to within three or four points at one stage.

“Unfortunately, we missed and they went forward and scored. The rest is pretty much history.”

Best of AFL

Oscar Junker
Utility Oscar Junker's versatility is a key asset of his game. The 20-year-old highlighted the multi-faceted elements of his game on Saturday afternoon and was the most eye-catching member of North’s forward line.

The lightly-built swingman took several contested marks and converted two goals in the first term.

“I still have to learn my craft. I was put forward this week… my offensive stuff is getting better and better. I just need more time out on the track,” Junker told North Media. 

“It’s a bit disappointing (the team performance). We’ll take some negatives that we need to work on, but some positives as well. 

“We did come to expect that their midfield was going to be pretty good. They are one of the top-ranked midfields in the comp.

Best of VFL

Mitch Rodd
Although North’s defence was under pressure for large patches of the game, Mitch Rodd was among a handful of notable defenders who offered resistance.

Slotted alongside defensive anchors Ben McKay and Sam Durdin, Rodd has continued to develop, adding an extra dimension to his athletic style of play.

The agile utility did a stellar job of providing clean hands when contested marks were at a premium.

Rodd also proved capable of disrupting Essendon’s attack at the stoppages, stripping the ball from opposition players with some important tackles. 

Talking points

Davies-Uniacke finds the footy
2017 draftee Luke Davies-Uniacke played his first game at VFL level and enjoyed the chance to get his hands on the ball more often through the midfield.

Davies-Uniacke had 18 disposals and laid 4 tackles in a promising display. 

Run and carry
Despite the tough day, the legs of the pacey pair Will Walker and Alex Morgan, complemented by the swift ball movement of Nathan Hrovat and Kyron Hayden, gave the team plenty of speed. 

Transitioning of the ball has been a key component of North’s attacking blueprint. When afforded the luxury, the Roos stretched Essendon’s defence.

New faces
With many of the AFL-listed players called up for senior selection, a host of new faces were welcomed into the side.

Chris Jansen and Nick Rippon were both strong performers. 

Jansen garnered attention for a courageous mark, where he tracked the flight of the ball before being greeted with a heavy tackle.

Meanwhile, Rippon excelled, laying several heavy tackles while being hard-at-the-ball at every opportunity. 

Key defenders stand tall
Rarely is praise filtered towards the defence when on the receiving end of a winning score.

However, key defensive pairing Ben McKay and Sam Durdin earned the praise of David Loader.

“They were a couple of guys that played well under siege,” Loader said. 

“Benny McKay and Sammy Durdin both held up their end of the bargain. That’s not missing out on the other guys that played down back, but they were the two that played the best under the pump.”

Durdin had 17 touches and took 6 marks, while McKay pulled down 7 grabs to go with 15 disposals.