Patersons Stadium
Sunday September 9, 1.15pm WST/3.15pm EST
The home and away season is over and the focus switches to North Melbourne’s do-or-die battle against the Eagles on Sunday.
kangaroos.com.au looks at the history books to see how the club has fared in its previous finals campaigns.
Finals played: 67
Won: 31
Lost: 35
Drawn: 1
Overall
- North’s first finals appearance was in 1945, 20-years after its admission to the VFL competition. It lost against the Blues by 26-points in front of a crowd of more than 54,000 at Princes Park.
Bill Findlay who sits ninth on the club’s all-time goal-kicking list booted four of the team’s eight goals.
- The Kangaroos’ first Grand Final appearance was in 1950 against the Bombers. Almost 88,000 packed into the MCG, but the team coached by Wally Carter and captained by Les Foote, fell short.
- North Melbourne’s last finals appearance was in 2008, when it lost to the Swans at Stadium Australia by 35-points. The Kangaroos led by 10-points at half-time but fell away after the main break with a side featuring seven players with under 50-games experience.
- The club’s last finals win was a famous one on September 15, 2007 against Hawthorn. With much controversy surrounding North Melbourne and a potential move to the Gold Coast, it responded from a 106-point loss against Geelong the week previous, to win by 33-points in front of nearly 75,000 at the MCG and advance to the Preliminary Final. Brent Harvey kicked four goals, while Aaron Edwards pulled down a mark for the ages.
- 12 current North Melbourne-listed players have finals experience.
- North Melbourne has played Hawthorn in finals 15 times, seven more than any other team.
- Barring the franchise teams Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney, Fremantle is the only team the Kangaroos are yet to meet in a final.
Against the Eagles
- North has played the Eagles in finals on three occasions for two wins, though the last clash was back in a Semi Final in 1997 when Denis Pagan’s team prevailed by 13-points at the MCG. Corey McKernan booted four goals, and remarkably Brent Harvey was running around in just his 17th game.
Interestingly, two of North’s current assistant coaches Brett Allison and Darren Crocker took the field in this match.
- The teams also met in a Semi Final in 1995 with North comprehensive 58-point winners at the MCG. Glenn Archer kicked four goals in game 71, while it was the perfect celebration for John Blakey in his 200th AFL game.
The average age of the Kangaroos’ players was 26 years, 41 days and 113 games. The side against the Giants last week had an average age of 24 years, 131 days and 84 games.
- Despite finishing third on the ladder in 1993 and the Eagles sixth, North was beaten by 51-points at Waverley Park in the Elimination Final in captain Wayne Carey’s first September appearance.
- The Kangaroos and Eagles are yet to meet at Patersons Stadium in a final.
West Coast at home
- West Coast has played 12 games at Subiaco in 2012 for 10 wins. The Eagles have won 21 of their last 23 at home.
- Eight wins from 12 finals games at home makes the trip to Perth a massive task for any side.
