This game presented as something not very interesting for the casual footy fan, but only to the untrained eye. There was plenty available to get excited about, from a wave on young talent for both sides, to some special football stories.
GWS were smarting after snatching defeat from the jaws of victory last week against the Tigers. This left them with a 4-8 win/loss record and effectively killed their last hope at a chance at finals. They sat in the bottom four coming into the match with North Melbourne.
The Kangaroos had been on respectable run of losses since Alistair Clarkson’s departure. A heart breaking loss to the Swans due to a final minute interchange infringement, a more than respectable 35-point loss to the rampaging Collingwood, and then a dignified showing against the Bombers. They were still winless under Brett Ratten, but not disgraced.
As is usual with most teams this year, both teams have some crucial outs. North Melbourne are missing Simpkin, Davies-Uniacke, Greenwood, Xerri and Bonar. Meanwhile the Giants were missing Cumming, Davis, Daniels, Taylor, Wehr and Kelly. However, every team has to overcome adversity in order to be successful and every out is a possible discovery of the next superstar for either team.
But enough preamble, let’s get into the stuff that mattered.
The Best Stuff
The Warlord – FREEDOM!!
North have the right colour scheme for Wardlaw. From now on he should be coming out with face paint on like Mel Gibson in Braveheart. Only one player in recent memory has entered a football club and just looked like a captain of a team from his first few games, Joel Selwood. Wardlaw has entered that discussion. North should paint his face up and get him shouting about freedom and (Best Jim Ross impersonation) “Bah Gawd! I will follow him into the fiery flames of hell!”.
Wardlaw is just so desperate. He’s only a first year player, but he is a contested beast already. Forget the numbers, the kid just wants to win the footy. It doesn’t matter who has it, or who else is fighting for it, he’s going in there, right into the trenches and he’s coming out with it.
No contract is long enough. North isn’t going to be short of heart and desperation in a game while Wardlaw is on the field.
His first goal was a testament to his style of play. Runs defensively and help turn the ball over in the middle. Gets a handball and is immediately tackled. Gets up and follows the ball back forward. Gets a handball on fifty and drills it.
The Rest of the North Young Guns
Bergman, Ford, Phillips, Powell and Scott all would be giving North fans huge smiles. Sheezel had a quieter games in terms of obvious impact. Spicer had some great moments as well. Coleman-Jones looked like a genuine second key forward and provided a great option and legitimate support for Larkey.
The main observation here is that if this is what North’s young guns are offering, some of their older players should be losing their spots to them. And there is at least one playing in the firing line.
Toby Greene
Greene just continues to amaze. Kicking goals while dodging multiple opponents. Kicking goals out of mid air in the goal square with an opponent hanging off him? No problem. Greene continues to do everything asked of him and more and leading this Giants team incredibly well.
His physicality around the ball is also first rate. The Giants needed to assert themselves on the younger Kangaroos players and Greene was a great exponent of that. Matched up most often on the North Captain in McDonald, Greene worked the North skipper over as he came up big when the Giants needed him most. Greene just has such surety about his game now. Such composure. He knows exactly who he is and what he needs to be doing.
There is a difference between being a star and being sure of yourself as a player. Example, Greene is sure of who he is, and his role as the leader of the GWS team. Harry McKay is a star with all the talent and a Coleman medal, and doesn’t seem to know what his exact role is in the Carlton team.
The Good Stuff
Toby Bedford
In the absence of Brent Daniels, Bedford put his hand right up for the primary support slot for Toby Greene. Crossed over from the Demons in the off-season and looks deadly around the goals. Applied some serious pressure on the Kangaroos defenders at times as well. Having played just over half of the games so far this season, Bedford did his chances of holding his spot no harm in this match.
Nick Larkey
The North spearhead just keeps on keeping on. You would hate to think where this North team would be without him. With no Sam Taylor for the Giants, Larkey could’ve almost been used more by North. A couple of times they either missed him or slow played the ball when he had a favourable one on one.
Connor Idun
Had a cracking start on Cam Zurhaar, outpointing him in multiple contests and showing some real poise in defence. It looked like he carried that confidence throughout the match as he was one of the Giants’ best. Idun ran hard defensively and was a consistent supporting option for his teammates.
Briggs
As pointed out on the commentary, Briggs started this season as the number three ruck opinion for the Giants this season. Injuries struck and he found himself in the team and Briggs has grabbed the opportunity with both hands. It’s fitting that Shane Mumford is the ruck coach at GWS as he did something similar back in 2009 when injuries struck at Geelong. And likely similar with Mumford and Geelong at the end of 2009, GWS now face a choice when their number one and two ruck options return, do they play him or drop him? Geelong dropped Mumford and he left the club and signed with Sydney and became a premiership player with them while Geelong spent several years searching for a number one ruck once Brad Ottens retired.
If GWS don’t honour Briggs form and service later in the year, he might just find a place on an AFL field with someone else.
The Not So Good Stuff
Aaron Hall
Probably harsh to pick out a few instances, but Hall was found wanting on many occasions in this game. Just not wanting or accepting contact and either spilling or fumbling the ball. When you have players like Scott, Wardlaw and Phillips fighting tooth and nail and actively looking for contact it’s hard to see how Hall can keep his spot from a simple team standards point of view.
You can’t have 18 year olds going harder than experienced campaigners. It could be a balance perspective, and that would be understandable. North may not want 22 Tarzans playing. Every team needs one or two Janes. That’s not a shot, its just a fact that some players are better contested players, and others utilise their run and skills with the ball.
The North coaches probably know more than this Mongrel.
Jaidyn Stephenson
His teammates might’ve been asking a bit much of him at times, but especially late, Stephenson really struggled in his one-on-ones and got beaten several times by the likes of Lachie Ash, as the Giants continually rebounded the ball off halfback. He either needs the ball slightly more in his favour, or he needs to get more desperate in the aerial contests.
The Other Stuff
Callum Brown
The Irishman had a purple patch to remember late in the first quarter and early in the second. Three successive goals and really showing his development in the game of Aussie Rules.
Zurhaar Courage
Have to recognise Cam Zurhaars’ courage in the second quarter. Went back with serious pace to take a mark and copped a hit on the way through. He knew he was open but went anyway and you have to respect that.
Bring Back the Barrell
Loved seeing Ziebell bring out the torpedo in the second quarter. He made sweet connection and it lead to a Kangaroos goal. Considering some of Ziebell’s recent kicking woes he should be bringing the barrel out more often.
Harry Rowston
Great to see Rowston get a good moment at the end of the match. Used as the sub for GWS, and brought on after the midway point of the last quarter. Its not often subs are held back for so long, so it was good to see him get a moment to kick a goal after the final siren as an added bonus for the Giants.
The Wrap
North Melbourne
Another week, another game the Kangaroos threatened to steal, but ended up falling short. You can give them an out through inexperience and some of the quality players currently out of the side, but you only have to look at the team directly above them on the ladder in Hawthorn. Things can turn quickly for a side that refuses to settle for not being good enough. As covered already, there are so many green shoots and possibilities with the young group in this team, that North fans should be more than happy to wear some honourable losses and go and collect another one or two future superstars before making their march up the ladder. North host the Bulldogs next Sunday at Marvel Stadium. The Dogs are out of sorts and there is a definite opportunity there for the plucky Kangaroos.
Greater Western Sydney
A solid win for the Giants. As the aforementioned Hawks have shown, and also the Kangaroos themselves in previous weeks, outside of West Coast, there are no easy beats in this competition. Every game is a potential upset and teams need to take every opponent seriously.
The Giants would have to go on a serious winning run to make finals from here and a win against Fremantle before their bye would set up a decent base.
