WATCH: Hilarious moment 'sums up North's season' as untimely siren costs them certain goal
Paul Curtis was streaming into an open goal, only to put it on the boot one second too late. The Suns took a 16-10…
The AFL’s first Sudanese-born player Majak Daw showed glimpses of his exciting athletic potential in a North Melbourne pre-season win over Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.
The Kangaroos beat a Demons side stacked with new faces 1.4.5 (38) to 0.5.6 (36) in the first match of Friday night’s triple-header, also involving Richmond.
While Daw, elevated to North’s main list at the end of last season after three years as a rookie, didn’t do a lot, what he did do stood out.
The powerful 195cm forward-ruckman took a strong pack mark in defence midway through the first half.
Soon after he produced a nice ruck tap from a boundary throw-in to set up a nine-point super goal for ex-Port Adelaide recruit Ben Jacobs.
It was a bright start in Kangaroos colours for Jacobs, who had set up North’s first goal with a kick into attack which allowed Lindsay Thomas to take a high-leaping mark over Demons recruit David Rodan.
Another Melbourne recruit, Shannon Byrnes, was involved in letting in the opposition for a goal later in the half, being run down by Kangaroos veteran Brent Harvey, with the turnover setting up Lachie Hansen to mark and goal.
There were a few good signs for the Demons.
Big-leaping Jeremy Howe kicked two second-half goals from marks, to tighten the contest after the Kangaroos threatened to run away with it.
The Demons would have been thrilled to see hulking 18-year-old Jesse Hogan use his body cleverly to mark late in the first half, then thread through a goal from the pocket.
The only problem is they’ll have to wait more than a year to watch him do something similar in a game for premiership points, as the under-aged recruit is only allowed to participate in the pre-season this year.
Nathan Jones continued his best-and-fairest form from last season, while midfield father-son recruit Jack Viney had some good moments, but ex-Collingwood key forward Chris Dawes had a quiet start in Demons colours.
Captain Andrew Swallow was North’s best player.