AFL Round 6 – North Melbourne v Melbourne – A bad day from beginning to end

By Steve Healy
 
The day didn’t begin well, the day didn’t end well. On the train to the game, a Roos supporter almost ordered me to sit in the seat opposite him, before loudly proclaiming the Demons will lose today (At that stage I thought it was a joke). He looked exactly like Travis Johnstone, if not wilder, and wore sunglasses.
 
The level 3 wing is usually where I sit at Etihad. I was surprised to see quite a few Demons supporters around me in the area, and I was surprised to see the Roos come out and outplay us after Green nailed a tough one from the Coventry end pocket to put the first goal of the game on the board. However, it was Hale, Swallow and Wright who replied. Ryan Bastinac was showing a lot for the Kangas, as were Firrito, Rawlings and Swallow. Bate pegged one back to bring the margin down to eight points, and we were back in the game. 3.3 21 to 2.1 13 at the first break, Bruce was already up to 12 disposals for the Demons.
 
The second quarter was 2007-2009 revisited; we fiddled around in defence, overused the footy and couldn’t hit targets. At first, the Roos let us off with a few misses, but we weren’t going to stay in it by playing this sort of footy. Hale, Anthony, Wells and Wright put the Kangaroos 34 points in front before a saviour in Lynden Dunn casually dribbled it through the middle. But no, it doesn’t end there; Goldstein marked and kicked a goal on the run right on the siren, to make the mood sourer than your average lemon. The average Demons trudged down the race, I really hoped they would fight back.
 
The third quarter started like it was an extension of the second, with impressive youngster Sam Wright adding to the goal kicking list for the Roos, and Brent Harvey dancing around Bartram to almost bury us with a 46 point margin. Just after I had shook my head in disbelief, the tide turned. For the next ten minutes it was the Brad Green show. Two converted set shots, and a scintillating goal on the run. Then…Jack Trengove, a set shot from 40, after a quiet first half, he stuck it straight through the middle. We were on a roll. Sylvia picked it up, and snapped another one. Petterd (who sadly came off in the last term with a shoulder injury) added to the goal fest with one of his own, and at three quarter time, we were within 14 points and a win wasn’t out of the equation. There was a scuffle at the break, Michael Firrito found himself tangled in the Melbourne huddle, and was deservedly given a bit of a rough up.
 
It was evident from the first play of the final term that the Roos were going to be hard to stop, a quick clearance resulted in a goal on the run from Liam Anthony. Hale kicked his third, a player who is really performing well this season, before Petterd gave me something to cheer about with a beautiful goal from 50. McIntosh got rewarded a ridiculous free, and barely squeezed the goal inside the left hand goal post from 30 metres out, but it was enough to put the Dees away. Hale was rewarded another stupid free kick from umpire Dean Margetts, who was the culprit of all those stupid decisions at Etihad Stadium today. Warren and Wells (It wasn’t a hold you stupid umpire!) added a couple more goals as the red and blue filtered out of the stadium. A little spark of delight came when Jamar and Bartram added goals, but it’s just a consolation prize. Roos by 26 points. At least James McDonald played well again. He is on his way to a career best season, averaging 24 disposals and eight tackles. And Scully and Trengove, wow, are they incredible players!
 
I left Etihad Stadium with a smile on my face, happy that the game was over, happy that I found a Record, but still loathing Dean Margetts for ruining my afternoon.
 
North Melbourne 3.3 8.7 10.12 15.14 (104)
Melbourne 2.1 3.3 9.4 12.6 (78)
Goals
North Melbourne: Hale 3, Wright 3, Wells 2, Anthony 2, Swallow, Harvey, Warren, McIntosh, Goldstein.
Melbourne: Green 4, Petterd 2, Jamar, Dunn, Bartram, Trengove, Bate, Sylvia.
Best
North Melbourne: Wells, Rawlings, Thompson, Firrito, Swallow, Anthony, McIntosh, Adams.
Melbourne: Green, McDonald, Jones, Grimes, Bruce, Scully, Moloney.
Umpires: Donlon, Keating, Margetts!     Crowd: 26,763 at Etihad Stadium
My Votes: 3. Daniel Wells (NM), 2. Brady Rawlings (NM), 1. Scott Thompson (NM).

About Steve Healy

Steve Healy is an entity of a Melbourne supporter.

Comments

  1. Danielle says

    Steve this is why i dont do public transport…

  2. Steve Healy says

    Then how do you get to the footy each week? ;)

    And the North Melbourne supporter was annoying, but its not like he was a real creep or anything, he actually seemed nice and he wouldn’t have been in my piece of I didnt see him.

    I’ll give you a rundown of how the transport system works- all you need to do is step on a train, bus or tram to get to your destination, and don’t worry, its all free,tickets are merely a souvenir when the guys in the big jackets arent around

  3. The train is THE way to get to the footy Danni.

  4. Danielle says

    More like it’s THE way for cute people (like me) to get attacked by druggies and other weird people….
    and Steve, my daddy drives me to the footy.

  5. You sound like a Collingwood supporter, blaming the umpire.

    Good report, bad luck next time ;)

  6. astrodee says

    Good report. As soon as I saw Dean Margetts name in the record, I knew it would be a black day.

  7. Steve Healy says

    Thank you Astrodee. fitting that you take comment number 6.

    Worst umpire along with Heath Ryan and McLaren

  8. Don’t forget Steve McBerney.

  9. McBurney*

  10. Steve Healy says

    McBurney isn’t that bad.

    Chamberlain is crap too

  11. Damian Watson says

    Great report Steve,

    It will be a big test for the Dees on Friday night on the big stage.

  12. Great writing, Steve. Sorry about the result :-(

    And McBurney is so that bad. Are you kidding me? The only worse umpire currently in the league is McLaren.

  13. Steve Healy says

    It will Damo, thanks Susie.

    Dean Margetts is an umpire that you barely hear about, but when you see him in action, hes horrible. I think that the AFL were too hard on McLaren by sacking him for this round over that decision

  14. Why so sorry about the result, Susie? It was bound to happen :)

    McLaren’s mistake on Saturday night regarding the rushed behind was terribly out of order. The other umpires or the goal umpire should have intervened though.

  15. Some of us tipped Melbourne. Your team let me down, Steve. I blame you personally.

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