Match result



Northern Blues 21.10.136 def. North Melbourne 8.13.61



Player stats


AFL-listed

Tom Wilkinson (17 disposals), Tom Campbell (15 disposals, 21 hit-outs, 1 goal), Lachie Hosie (15 disposals, 2 goals), Declan Watson (15 disposals), Sam Wright (15 disposals), Ben McKay (13 disposals), Joel Crocker (12 disposals), Tom Murphy (10 disposals), Curtis Taylor (10 disposals, 1 goal), Tristan Xerri (10 disposals, 15 hit-outs), Red Og Murphy (4 disposals), Majak Daw (3 disposals)



VFL-listed

Dan Robinson (24 disposals, 1 goal), Chris Jansen (23 disposals, 1 goal), Nash Holmes (22 disposals), Louis Cunningham (21 disposals, 1 goal), Nick Rippon (21 disposals, 1 goal), Ryan Morrison (19 disposals), Ty Leonardis (13 disposals), Cameron Hodges (12 disposals), Brendan Whitecross (10 disposals), Brodie McLaughlin (7 disposals), Riley Verbi (7 disposals),



Recap



It was an afternoon that promised plenty as North Melbourne hosted a Northern Blues outfit vying for a finals berth at Arden Street.

After booting the opening goal of the game on the back of some quick thinking from Rippon, the Roos were left to chase the tireless visitors.

The Blues went on to kick six majors with the breeze, entering the first break with an imposing 24-point buffer, which North couldn’t reduce.

With Xerri deputising in the ruck, dominant tall Campbell was granted freedom to pursue opportunities further afield, marking his authority with a second quarter goal.



However, the Blues’ dominance was widespread, beating North to the contest and winning several key battles on both sides of the ground, allowing them to enter half-time with a 48-point lead.



Desperate to claw its way back, North began the third term with renewed vigour as the likes of Hosie, Taylor and Xerri, alongside VFL-listed Jansen, Rippon, Robinson and Holmes, worked hard to win the contested ball battles.

Despite the improvement, North was unable to register more than three goals in any quarter, making a repeat of last weekend’s heroics against Coburg unlikely.

A four-goal final term sealed the victory for the away side as the Blues ran out winners by 75 points.



Daw was rested after the second quarter, citing hamstring awareness on the back of a spoiling attempt. 


Wright’s resurgence at state level gained further momentum, with the 136-game AFL veteran offering run and solid distribution out of defence.

The 29-year-old turned heads with an eye-catching run just outside North's forward 50, but his shot at goal drifted wide.


Meanwhile, Taylor once again provided the enthusiasm that has had many label the youngster as one to watch, falling inches short of another highlight-reel worthy grab.



What the coach said

“It was nearly as disappointing as we’ve been all year,” David Loader told North Media.



“We just steered away from nearly everything that we’ve built on. It’s disappointing because we’ve been having so many little wins in little areas going forward. We were uncharacteristically ordinary.

“I thought we got a lot wrong around the footy and our forwards didn’t play to our method. Even then, our defenders stayed back and didn’t play to their method either.

“You get what you deserve at the end of the day, especially when we don’t play the want we want to play, or stick to our method.

“That’s what we got in the end.”

Best of AFL

Lachie Hosie

Since arriving at Arden Street with pick 5 in the 2019 NAB Mid-Season Rookie Draft, Hosie has added more drive and tenacity in North’s forward six.

The 22-year-old was an ever-present threat in contested situations, taking six marks against the Blues, but proved equally adept when pursuing the footy on the deck.


Inaccuracy in front of goal turned a potentially great outing into a good one, booting two goals from eight scoring shots, but the forward continues going from strength to strength.

“He was probably our most lively AFL-listed player,” said Loader.


“He’s a terrific kick, I thought he was one of the players who could really hold their head up today. I thought he tried right until the very end of the game.”


Best of VFL

Dan Robinson


One of the quiet achievers, Robinson went about his work with minimal fuss, playing his role in North’s engine room.



Typically deployed as an outside midfielder, Robinson went against stronger bodies for the bulk of his shift on the inside, tallying an impressive 24 possessions and a goal.



“I thought he was really solid around the ball,” added Loader.



“He just works super hard too. He got plenty of the footy, he was pretty solid. He’s a very versatile player and can play all areas of the ground.


“Mainly for us, he’s played outside mid, but due to a lack of numbers to rotate, he was inside today. He’s been great to work with.”