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In what was one of the most exciting games of the decade, North Melbourne have beaten Melbourne by 5 points in a shootout in Hobart.
North Melbourne started on fire, going into the first break 36 points up on the back of a huge quarter from best-on-ground Todd Goldstein, but Melbourne responded incredibly in the second quarter, kicking 9 goals to the Kangaroos 2.
North Melbourne wrangled back the lead in the third quarter, setting up an intense finish which didn’t disappoint. Waite and Harvey were among the heroes for North, with 10 goals straight between them.
The young Demons showed incredible bravery to keep hitting back, and in an end-to-end 4th quarter they nearly pinched a famous victory but only just ran out of time.
The ruck duel was one of the all time greats – Gawn finished with 63 hitouts, many of which were effective, and two goals; Goldstein netting five goals and 36 hitouts.
Brent Harvey continued playing like a man fifteen years his junior, kicking six goals to go with his 22 disposals. If those numbers weren’t enough, Jack Ziebell amassed a monstrous 19 tackles in a wonderful display.
Jesse Hogan redeemed his poor form of late with a game full of presence, including three goals and stints in the midfield. Dean Kent and Jack Watts also impacted the scoreboard, kicking four and three goals respectively.
It will likely end up as the highest scoring game of the year, and no doubt one of the most memorable.
North Melbourne are now 3-0, and with no injuries will look to keep their streak alive against an under-strength and out-of-form Fremantle next week.
Melbourne should take great confidence out of their stunning second quarter comeback, and will go into next week’s clash against Collingwood with every belief they can win.
Final score
North Melbourne 21.10.136
Melbourne 20.11.131
The Melbourne Demons head to Blundstone Arena looking to make up for their dismal Round 2 loss, but will have to overtake the in-form and highly fancied North Melbourne Kangaroos. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 1:10pm (AEST).
The Kangaroos have not put a foot wrong this season, backing up a hard-fought victory over Adelaide with a comfortable road win over the Lions last weekend.
Melbourne, on the other hand, are still wondering how they let a depleted Essendon outfit get the better of them. Their single win this season, over the Giants – while gutsy – was hardly convincing.
The Demons come into this game under huge pressure from their fan-base and the football community, with many questioning the Paul Roos’ coaching plan and the heart of key players such as Jesse Hogan and Jack Watts.
The Dees play on confidence, and need to erase last week’s nightmare and fire early if they are going to give this game a shake. They also need to forget that they have lost to North the last 14 times they have met. Yikes.
North Melbourne’s trio of key forwards look to have too much size and experience to be contained. Speaking of big men, keep an eye on the ruck duel today. With his wonderful marking ability, Max Gawn could become one of the league’s best, but the game’s premier ruckman Todd Goldstein will aim to dictate terms today.
The Kangaroos’ midfield runs deep and is healthier than it has been for years. Their polish around the ground and delivery inside 50 has led to 59 shots on goal this year to Melbourne’s 37, a huge differential in modern football. The Roos will be looking to score heavily early and snuff out any belief the Demons may have.
Both teams have hard nuts who can influence from stoppages, and Melbourne will need to bring plenty of aggression if they are to pull off an upset. If they play the tough footy we know they’re capable of and cease overusing the ball, they might just be able to do so.
Prediction
The Kangaroos will fly home 35-point winners.
Can Melbourne silence their critics or are North just too good? Join The Roar from 1:10pm (AEST) for live coverage, and join in the discussion.
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