Round 10 – North Melbourne v West Coast: Not Bending With The Breeze

Josh Barnstable finds a lot to think about – the ghosts of a merger, the cruel fate of weather and BBBB – on his trip to watch the Kangas pull off a famous win over West Coast at Blundstone Arena. [Republished ahead of their Preliminary Final].

Finals Week 1 – Richmond v North Melbourne: Worth the Waite

Josh Barnstable heads nervously along to the G with a group all making their finals debut. The train is packed. The lunch won’t go down. “Our seats are perfect…”

Simpler footy

Josh Barnstable reflects on his formative years spent falling in love with our great game.

AFL Elimination Final – North Melbourne v Essendon: The Rest Is History….

Josh Barnstable experiences North’s biggest win since 2007. Oh, and witnesses a 6″8, kinda funny lookin’ gollywog in the number 50 become a cult finals hero.

North Melbourne and Essendon rivalry

Tell us how you feel about Essendon, Josh! It will be on for young and old tonight.

AFL Round 20 – GWS v North Melbourne: making the most of Manuka

Josh Barnstable crosses Manuka Oval off his ‘footy venues bucket list’. And looks forward to returning to Canberra – especially if his Roos are going to win by 12 goals.

AFL Round 13 – Adelaide v North Melbourne: three 21st birthdays, three Kangaroo losses

When Josh Barnstable celebrates his 21st next year he’ll be making sure it’s not when his Kangaroos are playing.

Round 9 – North Melbourne v Brisbane: Channelling W.C. Fields

Josh Barnstable faces trying conditions in the stand, while his Roos have it much easier out on the ground.

AFL Round 1 – North Melbourne v Essendon: Let down

Josh Barnstable, now studying in the big smoke, gets the train to see his beloved North. But they aren’t so kind to him.

Geelong v North Melbourne

Josh Barnstable has relocated to Melbourne. But he needs a Kangaroo fix, so he’s off to Kardinia Park.

Moving to Melbourne

Josh Barnstable has moved to the big smoke. You can take the boy out of the bush, but you can’t take the footy out of the boy.

Half time in a Grand Final and we’re 31 points up….

Josh Barnstable won 15 games in eight seasons in his junior career. After giving up footy for 12 months he returned with a different club that found itself 31 points up in a Grand Final at half time. Then….

AFL Round 15 – North Melbourne v Richmond: Roos make a tough day a little easier

Josh Barnstable went to watch his Kangaroos against Richmond on a very tough day for him. It was the perfect day for the Roos to turn it on.

AFL Round 11- Gold Coast v North Melbourne: A tale of divergent moments

Development is inevitable. Unless you’re Melbourne. The Gold Coast Suns were always going to spike off the charts at some stage of their short existence. The raw teenagers they selected in their inaugural draft are becoming promising young players, with shortening moments of concentration lapses. 2013 is the year the Suns said to the other [Read more]

Round 8 – West Coast v North Melbourne: Friday Night Lights

Natanui’s grab would have been one of the best football memories of Josh Barnstable’s life if it wasn’t against his Roos.

AFL Round 4 – North Melbourne v Brisbane Lions: Majak’s brief candle

Josh Barnstable sees Majak Daw’s debut, and his Roos dominate the struggling Lions to register their first win of the season.

The 2012 Phantom Draft

Josh Barnstable has studied the form of the AFL’s future stars and presents his phantom draft in time for the real event next Thursday.

Friday Night Form

Josh Barnstable For North Melbourne, playing Carlton on a Friday night is like trying to impress the new girl at school on the eve of the school ball: make one mistake, and your legs are pulled out from under you and you are laughed at by everyone in the school. Make a good impression, and [Read more]

The Wrath of Josh

By Josh Barnstable Something isn’t right at Aegis Park. Something has gone wrong, deep in the heart and soul of the North Melbourne Football Club. 10 rounds into the season, sitting 12th on the ladder with just four wins, everything possible has gone pear shaped for the club that promised so much in the pre-season. [Read more]

Port Adelaide v North Melbourne

Port Adelaide v North Melbourne By Josh Barnstable When the fixture was first released last November, my eyes were drawn to Round 8 of a Saturday afternoon. Port Adelaide v North Melbourne from AAMI Stadium, on free to air telly on a Saturday! Beating the likes of Hawthorn v Fremantle and even Sydney v Melbourne. [Read more]