North Melbourne needs a big scalp to earn respect, writes Dermott Brereton

IS North Melbourne the best team in it? If we are to confidently say it is the team to beat, it needs a scalp. And a good scalp, writes Dermott Brereton.

(From left) Daniel Wells, Lindsay Thomas, Brent Harvey, Jarrad Waite and Drew Petrie sing the song after a win.

IS North Melbourne the best team in it?

The Kangaroos sit on top, the only undefeated team.

North, like every other team, can beat only the opposition that the AFL’s draw puts it up against.

Wins against the Lions and Suns were predictable.

They’ve knocked over a once-dominant Fremantle — but so has everyone else.

They slenderly beat an improving, determined Demons outfit that was stung into action from a poor performance the week before.

And their best win was back in Round 1 when they survived a three-quarters-and-a-half dogfight with a seriously good Adelaide Crows outfit.

If we are to confidently say that they are the team to beat, or that they are undeniably the best team in the comp, they need a scalp. And a good scalp.

Kangaroos captain Andrew Swallow and Western Bulldogs captain Easton Wood. Picture: Colleen Petch

Enter the Western Bulldogs.

They too are finalists from last year and they also have seemingly improved.

The Dogs have covered the loss of Bob Murphy and Jason Johannisen off half-back; there’s no reason to think they can’t plan successfully around the absence of another gun rebounder in Matt Suckling.

They need a scalp. And a good scalp.

Led by the rejuvenated Tom Liberatore in the middle, the Dogs are a team which is dominating contested football.

That means that more than 50 per cent of the time the ball heads straight into their forward line and the Doggies are just about the best team in the comp for holding the ball in their forward line and gaining repeat shots at goal.

Conversely, North has conceded 30 goals more than the Doggies in the first five games.

If North thinks they are going to allow the ball to live in their backline until such time as they are comfortable to exit, they are playing with fire — one very hot fire.

Last week the presence of Tom Lynch changed the way Brad Scott wanted the game played down back.

The ever-persistent Scotty Thompson was assigned to Lynch, but Michael Firrito was needed to peel away from a more attacking starting position so that he could assist.

“Spud” played it very well, it is worth noting. But still, those two will be thinking “thank God not every team has a Tom Lynch.”

The missing backmen does hurt the Bullies but if you really drill down into the Dogs’ gameplan, those three were very good at using their pace to give advantage to their kicking skills.

Because for all the talk about the three express runners in the Doggies backline, the team essentially kicks their way forward in a calculated methodical fashion.

GET THE LATEST TRADE AND DRAFT NEWS IN THE BIG DEAL PODCAST

Johannisen was express and undeniably at times he gave some penetrative run and carry, but the Dogs massage the ball forward by foot most of the time.

And this style, or the attempt to remain with this style, will continue.

But back to North, what has improved them?

They haven’t added any players at the absolute peak of their powers like a Dangerfield to Geelong, or a Franklin to Sydney for immediate impact.

Daniel Wells has returned with a bang for North Melbourne. Picture: George Salpigtidis

The best addition that can be said is that they have a fit and running Daniel Wells to add to their midfield armoury.

In between his last stint of good football and his good football this time around, Dal Santo and Shaun Higgins have been added. And Cunnington, Ziebell and Goldstein are much better players.

Add to that Brent Harvey is still an amazing source of energy and drive and Wells is not getting tagged like he used to.

Then we can look forward.

Drew Petrie is still really good and he does a mountain of work. Perhaps even more work than a player of his standing is expected to do.

Ben Brown is averaging two and a half goals a game. He is a wonderful foil inside 50m and if needed he is very capable of marking on the lead.

Then there is Jarrad Waite. He has somehow managed to string game after game together and get consistency. Carlton must be wondering what is in the water at Arden St.

He is not young (like most of the list) but his speed and jump is still super good. He is afforded the luxury of playing as the wildcard, nomadic forward that has license to roam.

And he is repaying the Roos handsomely. His lead and an early jump that is aided with good hang time is his trade mark.

Finally, the main reason why North Melbourne has kicked the most goals this season is that these forwards have had the ball come towards them at express pace.

(From left) Daniel Wells, Lindsay Thomas, Brent Harvey, Jarrad Waite and Drew Petrie sing the song after a win.

The one wish a forward makes to the footy gods before the first bounce is to receive the ball at pace.

And North have been supplying Petrie, Waite and Co. through the express ball transferral from their backline because of Shaun Atley, Jamie Macmillan and Wells.

And if during these express chains Higgins and Dal Santo can get their mitts on the ball, the forwards lick their lips.

North’s ability to bring the ball forward at pace is actually better than the Western Bulldogs’.

But if a goal is not scored, the Dogs forward line has a better ability to keep the ball inside their forward line until they get another shot.

North last week fielded 16 players that have more than 100 games experience and a couple more are only weeks away from the milestone.

If anything, history would say that their profile is a little old, but reality tells us that Brent Harvey at 400-plus games is as agile and quick as any 25-year-old.

Petrie at 300-plus is as hardworking as any key forward the game has seen.

All through their list, forget the high numbers — they are very healthy.

And they are better than they were last year, in a competition that has come back a rung and evened out a little.

I expect them to take that hard-earned scalp.

Originally published as North Melbourne needs a big scalp to earn respect, writes Dermott Brereton