North Melbourne’s great escape over Carlton shows how far it is to being a flag contender
AT quarter-time North Melbourne was playing like millionaires but after nearly losing the unloseable to Carlton, the Roos showed they’re not flag contenders just yet.
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LET’S call it the three-year rule.
The Western Bulldogs are the model given they’ve provided all teams hope that it’s possible to go from rubbish to premiers in a short space of time.
It’s an optimistic rule but that’s what all football clubs live off.
The Dogs were 14th in 2014, sixth in 2015 and premiers in 2016.
Given that formula, which team is currently best positioned to ‘Do-a-Bulldogs’?
That was the intrigue about Sunday’s Carlton-North Melbourne clash given both clubs won’t be winning the premiership this year.
So who’s closer?
If you wanted an answer at quarter-time it was a no-brainer. North Melbourne had kicked seven goals to two and was playing like millionaires.
If you waited until early in the third quarter to ask the question then it wasn’t as clean cut.
Carlton had clawed its way back from 45 points behind to get within a couple of kicks when Bryce Gibbs kicked a beauty around his shoulder from 40m on the boundary line.
That in itself showed the Blues had found some maturity and fortitude which hadn’t been there 12 months earlier.
A glance at the centre square throughout the afternoon suggests both clubs have the required top level quality.
Matthew Kreuzer, Marc Murphy, Patrick Cripps and Gibbs is serious A-grade.
North’s reply is pretty darn impressive with Todd Goldstein, Jack Ziebell, Ben Cunnington and Shaun Higgins.
As the Bulldogs showed, it’s as much about the support act as the top end, particularly in the midfield.
Both of these teams don’t have enough there at the minute with North probably owning the next most promising in Trent Dumont who has become an impressive accumulator.
The key position debate is an interesting one as both have some talented youth.
Robbie Tarrant was in All-Australian contention last year while at the other end Ben Brown deserves to be spoken about in the conversation about the best young key forwards.
The Blues have No.1 pick Jacob Weitering who played back against the Roos after being thrown forward for most of the first half of the season.
Charlie Curnow is Carlton’s most promising forward but he’s not key position even though he can fill that role.
He would benefit from being the second banana like North’s Mason Wood who has potential star written all over him as he showed with two clutch last-quarter goals.
The Roos defence is more set given the presence of Scott Thompson and Lachie Hansen but under the three-year rule will they still be around?
Jamie Macmillan is a very solid citizen while ex-Magpie Marley Williams has become the required lockdown back pocket with youngsters Ed Vickers-Willis and Aaron Mullett now getting a chance there.
The Blues are assembling a good cast around Weitering with talls Caleb Marchbank and Lachie Plowman showing potential to compliment the experience of Kade Simpson and Sam Docherty.
Both clubs have a sprinkling of talent that could grow during the three-year rule.
North fans keep hoping Shaun Atley has another gear and he showed glimpses of it with a dominant final quarter, while Luke McDonald collected 28 possessions in his best game for a while.
Kayne Turner has got some tricks as has Taylor Garner, who kicked three goals.
The Blues have a number of kids who ooze potential led by Sam Petrevski-Seton and Jack Silvagni but ironically they were two of their lesser lights.
So who’s the closest?
Both need to launch in free agency and buy a midfield jet. If North get their million-dollar man Josh Kelly from GWS next year then they could play finals.
Carlton would do well to pinch a key forward from somewhere like Brisbane’s Josh Schache.
The margin of 17 points in North’s favour is probably a fair guide.
They’re a couple of steps further down the track in the three-year rule but at least the Blues are now in the vicinity.
CARLTON 2.0 7.2 12.4 15.6 (96)
NORTH MELBOURNE 7.2 11.3 12.6 17.11 (113)
GOALS
Blues: Gibbs 3, Casboult 2, Cuningham 2, Docherty 2, C.Curnow 2, Wright, Cripps, Murphy, Sumner
Kangaroos: Garner 3, Higgins 2, Turner 2, Wood 2, Hansen 2, Hrovat, Waite, Brown, Dumont, Atley, McDonald
BEST
Blues: Gibbs, Cripps, Kruezer, Docherty, Murphy, E.Curnow
Kangaroos: Higgins, Ziebell, Atley, McDonald, Dumont, Williams
INJURIES
Blues: Nil
Kangaroos: Dumont (concussion)
Reports: Nil
Official crowd: 32,802 at Etihad Stadium
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