North Melbourne snatches victory with 21 seconds to go in cruel blow to Western Bulldogs
CRUEL is the only word to describe the Western Bulldogs’ loss to North Melbourne after the Kangaroos took advantage of a mistake from Mitch Wallis in the final minute of the match.
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FOR a man who wants to be a journalist post-football, Ben Brown has started work experience early.
The North Melbourne spearhead wrote his own story in Saturday night’s heart-stopping win over the Western Bulldogs in a performance dripping in leadership, composure and skill.
Brown was the constant presence on a rollercoaster night for North Melbourne.
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He was there when the Roos were put under the pump, there when they surged back into the lead and he was there to set up Jack Ziebell’s dramatic matchwinner with 20 seconds left.
The Roos were on the canvas early and late, but Brown was the one who kept swinging, kicking five goals from six marks — four contested — and 11 disposals.
With Jarrad Waite still sidelined, and the Dogs defence reinforced, it was a significant contribution.
On an incredible night, the Dogs led by 18 points at halftime before North appeared to assume control with eight of the first 10 goals of the second half.
Just when it appeared North was going to run away with it, the gusty Dogs kicked three of the next four and incredibly led by four points with 46 seconds left.
But Mitch Wallis’ decision to ignore Mitch Honeychurch and kick longer to Billy Gowers backfired spectacularly, with his kick going out on the full and North going the length of the ground for Ziebell’s last-gasp winner.
It was cruel on the Bulldogs who, if we’re being honest, we gave as much chance of winning as Greg Norman putting some clothes on.
Like our golfing great, they had been stripped bare.
With nine first-choice Dogs watching from the stands and at least another three out there playing sore, you figured it was going to get ugly against a Roos side that had won three of its past four and was in finals contention.
That it didn’t was because for all the manpower the Dogs were lacking, they had rediscovered something far more important — spirit.
Marcus Adams and Dale Morris added steel to the backline, Tom Boyd rucked bravely, Hayden Crozier had 23 disposals in the first half on a back flank and Lachie Hunter was industrious.
Ranked second-last for pressure this year, the Dogs turned back the clock to 2016 in a frenzied attack on the ball and the man that North couldn’t live with.
But the Dogs’ spirit and energy started to fade just as North’s grew stronger, and when Brown’s teammates followed his lead this game truly exploded into life.
North had lost Billy Hartung to a game-ending hamstring injury in the second term after the midfielder was a late replacement for Ben Jacobs.
They had fumbled and over-handballed and appeared set to become the latest side to suffer a severe case of post-bye blues.
Yet if Brown was the consistent performer, two of his midfield teammates turned this match on its head. Ben Cunnington and Shaun Higgins willed themselves into the clash and when both caught fire in the third quarter, North made their move.
Higgins, who had come in for some first half punishment from the Dogs, had 11 possessions and two goals in the third term alone after going in to halftime with 10 touches.
Cunnington had 12 at halftime before helping himself to 12 in the third quarter. Trent Dumont had five touches at the main break, but his 10 in the third quarter was also telling.
Majak Daw starting taking balls out of the sky in the Dogs forward line like he was plucking low-hanging fruit.
A side widely-tipped to finish with the wooden spoon, North Melbourne have been the Cinderella story this year.
This was their slipper moment.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 2.1 6.3 8.7 11.9 (75)
NORTH MELBOURNE 1.1 3.3 8.5 12.5 (77)
GOALS
Bulldogs: Gowers 3, Williams 2, Naughton 2, Wallis, Boyd, Cordy, Richards
Kangaroos: Brown 5, Ziebell 3, Higgins 2, Anderson, Atley
BEST
Bulldogs: Crozier, Gowers, Hunter, Adams, McLean, Morris
Kangaroos: Higgins, Brown, Goldstein, Cunnington, Daw, Dumont, Tarrant
Injuries
Bulldogs: Trengove (ankle)
Kangaroos: Jacobs (concussion) replaced in selected side by Hartung, Hartung (hamstring)
Umpires: Foot, Rosebury, Meredith, Mollison
Crowd: 26,301 at Etihad Stadium
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