Round 19 – North Melbourne v St. Kilda: Saints leave kicking boots at home as Brent ‘Boomer’ Harvey breaks games played record

Saints leave kicking boots at home as Brent ‘Boomer’ Harvey breaks games played record

 

Saturday 30 July 2016, 7.25 PM

 

Etihad Stadium

 

A sad night for the Saints; a happy one for the Kangaroos, especially Boomer Harvey who broke Hawthorn’s Michael Tuck’s all time record of the most VFL/AFL games played with game number 427. This is an incredible achievement with the ‘little man’ carrying all before him  in his 21st season. His 21st season; believe it or not!! He is still a speed merchant and has footy smarts to burn. He had a serviceable game in what was an all round team performance where the Saints had one of those games. Boomer was gifted a goal midway through the last quarter when Lindsay Thomas hand passed to him when lining up after a strong mark in the goal square. Lindsay is an intriguing player who seems to be pulled this way and that as to whether or not he should let his football skills wreck havoc on opponents or take up a career as a free style wrestler.

 

At the end of the game both teams, including coaching staffs and umpires, made a guard of honour as Boomer was chaired of the ground by teammates. Well done Boomer, you have achieved something that may never be surpassed by anyone else; I dips my lid.

 

The Saints didn’t look as assured as last week against the Bulldogs. They didn’t team as well as they had in previous weeks and even though they won the inside-50s, 57 to 44, they had trouble kicking goals. It was like a repeat of the game against the Suns. They missed ones that should have been kicked from set shots and a number of other gettable goals from snaps and free flowing play. Half way into the last quarter they had only kicked 3 to the Kangaroos 10! A late flurry in the last quarter when the game was done and dusted when they kicked 4 of the last 5 produced some respectability to the final score.

 

Josh Bruce’s retro hairstyle seemed to upset the umpires, even though this was hailed as the ‘retro round’. A mark which was disallowed and paid to his opponent as a free seconds before half time, and a free not given after a tackle in the third quarter when the game was still up for grabs could have made a difference, assuming that he would have kicked straight on both occasions. And there was a dubious one paid to the Kangaroos after half time for a trip where a player fell over Tom Hickey on the ground. These potential momentum shifts went against the Saints.

 

Despite this and even though the Saints competed strongly and never gave up they never looked like they would win. Other than for a dropped chest mark in the second quarter and a switch in play around the back of the mulberry bush in the third quarter, both of which subsequently resulted in goals, the Saints’ defence held out for most of the game. The problem was in other parts of the ground, especially in front of the big sticks.

 

Such is life. The Saints though, are definitely on the improve. The Blues next week.

 

Go Saints!

 

North Melbourne:   2.4   4.7   7.8   12.13 (85)

St. Kilda:   1.4   2.7   3.10   8.14 (62)

 

Goals

North Melbourne: Brown 3, Waite 2, Petrie 2, Thomas, Harvey, Macmillan, Dumont, Mullett.

St. Kilda: Riewoldt 2, Bruce 2, Acres, Weller, Montagna, Dunstan.

 

Best

North Melbourne: Macmillan, Dal Santo, Gibson, Petrie, Cunnington.

St. Kilda: Acres, Riewoldt, Ross, Billings, Weller.

 

Umpires: Bannister, Findlay, Stevic.

 

Crowd: 44, 287.

 

Our Votes: Macmillan 3 (North Melbourne), Acres 2 (St. Kilda), Dal Santo 1 (North Melbourne).

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