North in need of a higher power.

Well, what can I say? Only one thing needs to be said really. St Kilda dominated, and North Melbourne were insipid. Do I really need to relive the pain of this match by writing up a report? I had to sit through it all, so I might as well.

After spending the day listening to the close first half of the Collingwood v Magpies match on the radio, riding the motorbike around on the farm nearby and then tuning into the gripping last 15 minutes of the aforementioned game, I arrive back home looking forward to a game that I know is already decided before the ball had been bounced. Getting within 40 points of St Kilda was a personal goal I set for North as play began.

Stephen Milne got things off to the best possible start for the Sainters, kicking the first two goals. Recruit Brett Peake goaled from a free kick, Brendon Goddard marked and goaled, Jarryn Geary got onto the end of a Nick Riewoldt pass and goaled, Peake kicked his second from 50m, Goddard kicked a long running goal and David Armitage put through St Kilda’s eighth goal, while at the ‘Coventry-Soon-To-Be-Named-Lloyd End,’ the Roos were doing doughnuts on the scoreboard. At quarter time, the goal of getting within 40 points had already been blown out of the window, just like all my hope, Saints leading 8.1 to 0.0. Zero goals, zero points!

The second quarter began and Riewoldt ran amok with the first two goals, making the scoreline 61-0. All I could do was laugh. I even had this sick thought go through my head, wondering what it would be like if North didn’t score for the whole game, and weirdly I started barracking for the Saints to clear from defence when the Roos made a rare entry inside 50. David Hale broke the drought though, and snapped my blue and white blood back into motion, with Hale booting two behinds. Corey Jones kicked the first goal after a great transition from Full Back, up along the Wing and into the hands of Jones. Peake kicked his third with a magnificent running goal, but Daniel Wells should his poise and class, calmly slotting a goal from a tight angle. St Kilda led at half time, 11.3 to 2.3.

The second half started and Leigh Montagna received from a Riewoldt THROW, snapping a high goal, but Hale replied with a banana goal. Goddard kicked his third after a good mark, but Lindsay Thomas provided the highlight of the quarter with an attempted specky in the goalsquare, before hacking the ball out of mid-air for a great goal. Riewoldt tried to be too unselfish, which resulted in the ball being cleared by the Kangaroos, but he got it back and put through his third before Nick Dal Santo intercepted a Roos’ kick and goaled. Riewoldt banged home his fourth after a trademark grab, but a late goal from Hale saw the margin cut to 67 points, an attractive looking scoreline reading 16.4.100 to 5.3.33.

Why is it that Stephen Quatermaine gets uncontrollably annoying when he is commentating the Roos and they are losing? He seems to be North’s biggest hater, and his comments on their performance tonight were not needed. Everyone knew they were playing badly. No need to enforce that and try and make it seem funny.

The final quarter began and my wish of the Roos to get within 40 points was within reach, barely. Adam Schneider ran into an open goal he didn’t deserve, but Hale answered with a good mark and goal. Riewoldt smashed through a long goal, before following up with a great mark and goal. Goddard kicked his fourth, the second time in a row he has kicked four goals on Easter Saturday. Riewoldt gathered the ball off-hands in the goalsquare to dribble through his seventh, before Schneider and Milne finished off the great game by St Kilda, and by this time I didn’t care anymore, St Kilda winning emphatically, 23.5.143 to 6.3.39.

What do I get out of this match? Absolutely nothing, no one showed any promise. It was the first time since early 2009 that I saw Jack Ziebell play, and he didn’t impress me. His aggression was good but he showed it in the wrong way. Liam Anthony was his productive self, but he needs to be more attacking if he’s going to be one of the great ball-winners in the North Melbourne midfield, Sam Wright is just a baby, Ben Warren led hard but couldn’t convert his chances, Hamish McIntosh had no influence, Jones, Matt Campbell and Lindsay Thomas only provided two goals, Wells still needs to find that higher gear, Lachlan Hansen needs to be more disciplined but his resilience tonight was excellent, Nathan Grima still has a long way to go to becoming a great backman, while Scott Thompson had a lot of it, but still the opposing team kicked 23 goals and he is the main rock in defence. And now we come to Brent Harvey. He made me laugh tonight, in a really pitiful way. I hold no fear in saying that if he is not found suspended for what he did late in the game, he should be dropped to the VFL for his actions and lack of leadership. I would be the first person to support the move if Brad Scott decided too, and also, Scott wasn’t impressive tonight. He let too many things drag on without doing anything to stop them. Why did Montagna accumulate over 30 touches when our best tagger Brady Rawlings is sitting in the backline racking up easy possessions? Why was Harvey even allowed on the ground in the final minutes? Why did I not see any footage of Scott giving them a bake? They didn’t need a bake, they needed to be cooked and then some. And also, why did Jesus rise again on the Sunday? North really could have used him this Easter Saturday.

St Kilda 8.1—11.3—16.4—23.5.143

North Melbourne 0.0—2.3—5.3—6.3.39

Goalkickers:

St Kilda-Riewoldt 7, Goddard 4, Peake 3, Milne 3, Schneider 2, Dal Santo, Armitage, Geary

North Melbourne-Hale 3, Wells, Jones, Thomas

Best:

St Kilda-Riewoldt, Goddard, Montagna, Gilbert, Gwilt, Milne, Dal Santo, Gram, Jones, Ray, Schneider, Hayes, Peake

North Melbourne-Hale, Rawlings, Anthony, Firrito

Crowd:

32, 006 at Etihad Stadium

Votes:     3: Nick Riewoldt (ST)   2: Brendon Goddard (ST)   1: Leigh Montagna (ST)

About Josh Barnstable

21 year old North Melbourne supporter from country Victoria. Currently living in Melbourne studying a Bachelor of Sports Media. Dreams of becoming a sports journalist and broadcaster.

Comments

  1. Steve Healy says

    Great report Josh, definitely shows the emotion that you went through throughout the course of the match.

    But, really, Collingwood V Magpies? The Dees were playing you know! lol

    Happy Easter

  2. Adam in Canberra says

    Nightmare. I listened to most of the game sitting in the car in the rain. Needless to say, it wasn’t good for North supporters.

  3. Ohhh sorry Steve lol, just one of those mistakes everyone makes.

    Happy Easter to you too, have a good one. Mum and Dad bought me a big chocolate football the other week, went to get it this morning and it was a melted mess, so now it looks like some sort of deformed pancake instead of a sherrin.

  4. Steve Healy says

    If the Dees lost by 100 points, it would have been excusable as a joke lol.

    cant wait for Essendon V Fremantle this afternoon.

    23.5? Amazing accuracy from the Saints, that would be 82% accuracy.

    and that counts for 38.11 in two games, geez, the Saints have improved a lot. I’ve got my fair share of chocolate too

  5. Steve Healy says

    By the way, Jordie McKenzie had 12 tackles yesterday, after having 11 the week before. Incredible

  6. John Butler says

    Josh

    The editor missed the Collingwood v magpies reference too. Blame it on Sunday mornings.

  7. Danielle says

    lol, im sorry about this loss Josh.
    You know i like North and you know i can’t stand Princess Roo-Roo lol
    better luck next week buddy.

    Danni

  8. Damian Watson says

    Well done Josh,

    Those were intresting comments on Quatermain, I don’t believe he directly abuses North frequently, in his defence North were fairly deplorable on the night.

    But overall a good report, conveyed the frustration of North well.

  9. 7: Thanks Danni, but your choice of word has now made me terribly worried about Buddy Franklin in Round 5..

    8: It was a very frustrated report Damo, glad it came out well lol.

    6: It’s Easter JB, i’ll cut you guys some slack :P

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