North Melbourne continues to defy the critics with upset win over Sydney at the SCG
NORTH Melbourne was widely tipped to be a contender for the wooden spoon this season but the Roos are showing they won’t be a pushover after claiming another big scalp.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
NORTH Melbourne has claimed another big scalp and regained its spot in the top eight after a stunning win over Sydney at the SCG.
The Kangaroos were widely tipped to be a contender for the wooden spoon this season but sits 4-3 following their two-point win over the Swans.
Mason Wood was the hero with four goals, including two in the last quarter, to steer the Kangaroos home in his return to the senior line-up.
“It just goes to show what will can do, we wanted it and won it,” Wood said after the match.
As well as the goals, Wood also ruled the air with nine marks, four of them contested.
“Mason was clearly the dominant forward on the ground,’ North Melbourne coach Brad Scott said.
“He’s a terrific athlete and works up and down the ground and it wasn’t just his work in the front half either he got up and gave us a way out of our defence at times.”
Shaun Higgins was also outstanding in his return from a nasty concussion with a game high 32 possessions and a goal.
It was North’s first win at the SCG in four years, and the Swans’ third loss at home this year.
And the Swans will rue their poor kicking for goal.
The Swans will rue their poor kicking for goal, Tom Papley missed a set-shot for goal from 40m out with just over a minute left on the clock and Dane Rampe also blazed wide in the closing seconds.
Kieren Jack will look back on two bad misses which could have changed the outcome, the first came from directly in front at the end of the first quarter and the second in a one-on-one in the third which he should have eaten up.
“They missed some easy ones and we missed some important ones as well,” Swans coach John Longmire said.
“There were ones we should have been able to nail and it would have given us a buffer.”
But it was a missed goal review in the first quarter which has Swans fans fuming.
Roos speedster Billy Hartung was awarded a goal despite replays showing Swans defender Jarrad McVeigh got fingers on the ball.
The goal wasn’t reviewed at the time.
“Someone told me he touched it, is that right or not,” Longmire said.
“What do you want me to say? I guess that’s what the review is for. If he touched it he touched it and that is what the review is for.”
Rampe, however, won his critical battle against Coleman Medal leader Ben Brown, holding him to just one goal.
The 189cm Rampe was giving away 11cm to the 200cm Brown but managed to compete in the air and win the skirmishes son the ground.
Josh Kennedy was again a massive force winning 31 possessions, including 18 contested.
He copped a knock to the thigh when the game was in the balance midway through the last term but made it back and helped get them in setting up Jake Lloyd, who booted the Swans to the lead with just under three minutes to go.
Callan Sinclair followed up his best-on-ground performance against Geelong with another from the top shelf, this time against Todd Goldstein.
The North big man won the hitouts but Sinclair held sway in the battles around the ground, chalking up 20 possessions, including nine contested, and seven marks.
The only downside for the Kangaroos was an injury to Ed Vickers-Willis, who collided with the point post in the last quarter.
The defender looked to have hurt the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
In his 100th game, Sydney’s Gary Rohan had a quiet night, compiling 10 touches.
LIVE stream every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Get your free 2-week Foxtel Now trial & start watching in minutes. SIGN UP NOW
Originally published as North Melbourne continues to defy the critics with upset win over Sydney at the SCG
Max’s Metrics: Numbers behind stars Saint’s staggering contract
Max King has signed an eye-boggling new contract after the Saints lined his numbers up against past greats. They liked what they saw and here is how the spearhead compares to 12 others.
Inside AFL’s draft combine: See the standouts, surprise packet
Draft hopefuls for both the AFL and AFLW were put to the test at this year’s combine, with one Victorian key forward producing a stunning 20m sprint. See the results and more here.