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North Melbourne top of the table? Guess what? No one cares!

17th April, 2016
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Where will Brent Harvey be next season? (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
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17th April, 2016
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Well, Round 4 is done and dusted, and a 31-point win over Fremantle sees North Melbourne as the only undefeated team in the competition and they are currently sitting a game clear on top of the AFL ladder.

The last time North Melbourne held the top spot was near the end of the 1998 season. It’s been a long time. Their last grand final win, their fourth flag, was 1999.

Guess what? No one cares! Or at least it seems that way.

We hear all about how much trouble Collingwood, Richmond, Fremantle and Port Adelaide are in. Seasons are on the line, coaches are on shaky ground, and so on.

North Melbourne are a story in their own right. They’re a good story. The underdogs.

So why are they invisible?

It seems the majority of footy fans, the public and media alike, don’t rate North Melbourne’s unbeaten record as anything newsworthy. They’re waiting for the inevitable slide down the ladder to where they’re “supposed to be.”

And where would that be exactly? Just in, or just outside the eight? Lower, maybe?

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Right now, they’re at number one; there are 17 other teams who would gladly take their spot.

North Melbourne beat Adelaide at Etihad in Round 1 and followed it up with a win over Brisbane at the Gabba in Round 2. Admittedly, they hobbled over the line against a gritty Melbourne in Round 3, but they stuck it out in a high-scoring game and still snatched the four points. On Sunday, they toppled a much-improved Fremantle, who are still yet to win a game.

Norths are 4-0. The Dockers are 0-4. No one saw that coming!

The Gold Coast Suns are the next test for North Melbourne. It’s a home game for the Suns at Metricon Stadium, late Saturday afternoon. Coming off a shock loss to Brisbane in the Q-Clash which saw their own unbeaten run end, the Suns will be breathing fire.

One thing’s for certain: according to their win/loss record, the Kangaroos are currently the best team in the AFL. They have their tails up, and they might well be quietly content to be flying under the radar. The outside attention is awfully quiet, at least for now.

No scrutiny. No pressure. Numero uno!

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