Collingwood’s superb turnaround against Carlton on Friday night and Geelong’s ability to hold off Hawthorn for 11 victories in a row against the Hawks since the 2008 grand final standout as major highlights of Round 15.
However, it would be hard to go past North Melbourne’s dismantling of Richmond as the standout performance of the weekend.
North has shown at times this season that they can demolish teams with their fast moving, attacking and blitzkrieg style, which has established big leads against good opponents, only to allow them back in the game in the third quarter and then eventually lose in heartbreaking fashion by tiny margins.
In fact, six of their losses have been by a total of 16 points, but on the weekend, after smashing the Tigers with an eight-goal to none second term, Brad Scott’s men made sure there was no repeat of those poor second halves, which cost them in particular against Collingwood, Geelong and most infamously Adelaide, when they coughed up a 35-point lead in the last term to lose the match.
That second quarter was magnificent, with their attack at all costs style in full flow showing up the Tigers as a side in urgent need of improving their defensive side, if they are to be legitimate finals contenders.
North has been criticised on several occasions this year for allowing their opposition to score too easily in a short space of time, but Saturday’s effort against Richmond was undoubtedly their best defensive performance of the year so far.
The Tigers can be a free scoring side, but found it hard to penetrate North’s back half. The Roos also had the right mix of attacking and lock down midfielders with Taylor Hine restricting the dangerous Brett Delidio and Levi Greenwood repaying the coach’s faith after falling out of favour by restricting the influence of Richmond skipper, Trent Cotchin.
Drew Petrie wasn’t relied upon to be the number one key forward and dominate for North to win with AAron Black and Robbie Tarrant stepping up.
Petrie played his role as usual, but that’s what the best and most consistent sides have an even spread of contributors and North for probably the first time this year had that.
Some results went their way on the weekend with Carlton and Adelaide losing and coupled with a healthy percentage of just under 120, North are now back in the mix, although still two games from the top eight, so they can’t afford too many slip ups and lapses in concentration, which frustrated the first half of their season.
However, if they can play like they did against Richmond on the weekend in the remaining eight home and away matches, they deserve to be right in the mix again to play finals despite having a tough draw.
Remember, to experience the ultimate, you have to beat everyone and I am sure all the teams in the eight and those jostling with North to get in would have looked over their shoulder at that 10-goal mauling with some trepidation if they meet them in the run home to September.
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