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.
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