There were a heap of stories coming into this game, and a heap of stories coming out of it. It just depends on whether you prefer concentrating on the positives or the negatives of the outcome.
I’ll probably end up doing both. Gotta be thorough, right?
North came into this game coming off a month of solid footy. They had been pretty damn competitive, with their three losses coming with a combined margin of just 21 points, and the week prior to that, they picked up a win over the Eagles.
The Suns came into this with a patchwork of form – win at home, lose on the road. It’s been well-documented in the media, and on this site, that their woes on the road will likely cost them a chance at finals.
And it was as though North smelled their weakness.
The pressure ebbed and flowed through the first half, with both teams enjoying periods of ascendancy, however, the contest remained tight. North would make the early run, with the Suns clawing back. That was the story of the game, and it quickly became apparent that the side that able to best balance their pressure with composure would walk out the winner.
It was tight, fun footy, with both teams laying it on the line. It was North Melbourne, with their young stars on full display, and Gold Coast, with their old guard up forward leading the way.
It was the Kangaroos and the Suns at Marvel Stadium, and it was a pretty pissed-off Damien Hardwick, who has still not won at the venue since telling the footy world he hated the place.
Let’s jump into The Mongrel’s Big Questions.
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