North Melbourne produces fast finish to upset GWS Giants and move to 2-0 after two rounds
North Melbourne has started the season with two wins for the first time since 2016 after defying GWS Giants in a performance that shows why the Kangaroos won’t be moving from Arden Street, Jack Ziebell says.
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North Melbourne captain Jack Ziebell says the club’s fighting spirit in the win over GWS is more proof why the club will never relocate away from Arden Street.
The Kangaroos caused one of the season’s early upsets by kicking six last-term goals in a 20-point victory over Greater Western Sydney to go to 2-0 for the first time since 2016.
The Roos players had a 5.30am wake-up call but the trip to Sydney finished with their young stars on fire and the senior stalwarts holding up their end of the bargain.
The club continues to deliver consistent profits and has been guaranteed its survival by Gillon McLachlan despite continued fearmongering about its future since the COVID-19 crisis hit.
Ziebell told the Herald Sun the win showed the club’s spirit was undiminished.
“To be honest I don’t buy into too much external noise. People have been talking about relocating North Melbourne for decades but they don’t have too much luck with it. People in footy clubs are stubborn and our supporters are stalwarts. We have our roots in North Melbourne and it’s where we belong and performances like today show that. It was a really good start, and after our comeback win in Round 1 we are two wins from the first two rounds,” he said.
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“For those young players to experience a win like that is extremely good for the young guys. They played to the level they needed and everyone brought their effort in spades.”
The talent-laden GWS forward line misfired, with Luke McDonald excellent on Toby Greene as he and Jeremy Cameron were kept goalless.
Tarryn Thomas kicked two important goals while Cam Zurhaar kicked three goals with Ben Brown kept to 1.2 and Nick Larkey injured.
But North Melbourne coach Rhyce Shaw wasn’t thrilled with perceptions his team had arrived with little chance of victory.
“In our minds it wasn’t an upset. We were pretty confident going into the game,” Shaw said.
“We play a pretty strong brand of footy and we’re here to win every game so in our minds it wasn’t an upset.
“We were team-first, we were organised. The way we attacked the contest was sensational.
“We are a really basic team that fights for each other. We really played really organised defence for long periods of time.”
While Shaw said his team never lacked self-belief, he admitted the Kangaroos still had to work to earn the respect of the wider competition.
“I think we have got to earn that right still a little bit,” Shaw said.
“We have got a long way to go, we are on a journey as a footy club and we are going to enjoy that journey and make sure we earn the right to play these good teams at the right time of the year. There is a long way to go, but I’m excited.”
Curtis Taylor, Bailey Scott, Tarryn Thomas, Cameron Zurhaar – boasting a combined 57 games of experience – each slotted clutch goals in the fourth term to get North home.
Jared Polec, arguably best on ground, also fittingly split the middle as the Kangaroos booted six goals straight to GWS’s 3.2 in the final quarter.
The Kangaroos prevailed 12.8 (80) to 8.12 (60), seeing off a couple of spirited challenges and successfully stifling the Giants’ potent run through the middle. Zurhaar finished with a game-high three goals.
Ruckman Todd Goldstein was also immense helping himself to 51 hit-outs, nine clearances and a key goal.
North are 2-0 and next face Sydney Swans then Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium as they eye a return to finals in Shaw’s first full season in charge.
Toby Greene was denied a third-quarter goal because of a contentious score-review verdict that found there was insufficient evidence to overturn the on- field decision.
There was debate about whether a scrambling Jamie Macmillan made contact with the ball before it crossed the line, but the North defender’s desperation epitomised his team’s approach on Sunday.
Expectations of a shootout between Cameron and North Melbourne counterpart Ben Brown, who ranked first and second on the Coleman medal leaderboard in 2019, were put to bed early.
The teams were locked at 2.6 (18) apiece at halftime, reflecting an arm-wrestle largely devoid of highlights but full of immense pressure and plenty of rust. GWS veteran Callan Ward, who hadn’t played since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in round four of 2019 and hadn’t completed a game since the 2018 finals, starred with a team-high 21 disposals.
NORTH MELBOURNE 1.2 2.6 6.8 12.8 (80)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 1.4 2.6 5.10 8.12 (60)
Goals: North Melbourne: C Zurhaar 3 T Thomas 2 B Brown B Scott C Taylor J Pittard J Polec J Ziebell T Goldstein.
Greater Western Sydney: H Himmelberg 2 H Perryman 2 J Finlayson 2 C Ward J Cameron.
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Originally published as North Melbourne produces fast finish to upset GWS Giants and move to 2-0 after two rounds