Alternate Worlds – North Melbourne v Essendon
Parochialism is great, but only when there is an alternate view you can use to balance things out. There is no way both sets of supporters ever walk away from a game feeling completely satisfied. There is always a winner and a loser… or two teams that played to a draw and no one is happy.
Tim Hunt takes the Kangaroos in this one, whilst The Slugger looks after the Bombers.
WHO WAS THE MATCH WINNER?
SLUGGER
Nic Martin probably got this today. He just kept bobbing up all day. He was here, then he was there. He was playing half-forward and then still rolling up to half-back like a wingman, which gives a great indication as to how hard he is prepared to work even in a role that does not have those types f demands on him..\
A few rebound 50s and inside 50s, three goals and an absolute stack of the football. His agility and running power make him an absolute weapon. It’s still hard to believe he is only in his second year of AFL footy. The Bombers have an absolute gem in this guy – I wonder what his ceiling is. I think there is a bit of head room there, still. And that should be scary for opposition coaches.
TIM
It’s tough to say who was the match-winner for a game that never saw the margin go beyond 16 points. There was no goal kicked that was obviously a ‘sealer’ – I’d argue that the game was North Melbourne gave away their best chance at winning when they allowed Dyson Heppell to take a contested mark in the centre square with little time left on the clock. Over the game though, there was one player who stood out, and proved to be the difference between the two teams – Nic Martin.
The pre-season of 2022 has proven to be instructive for the performance of two teams – West Coast and Essendon. West Coast had a look at Nic Martin, but a last-minute quad injury saw him cut from the Eagles practice squad. A chance few weeks late in the pre-season at Essendon was enough for him to win a spot on their list, and since then he has proven himself to be amongst the best wingmen in the competition. Today he gathered 32 disposals and kicked three goals, the eighth time in less than 50 games that he has finished with 20 or more possessions and two or more goals.
WHERE DID WE WIN/LOSE THE GAME?
SLUGGER
Delivery inside forward fifty. It really was the difference between the two teams. That’s not to say our ball use was elite moving forward, but it was better than North’s. This was evident particularly in the first had where North were probably having the better of us through the middle, but our pressure just didn’t allow them enough clean footy up forward to really hurt us.
Overall, Essendon were +12 in inside fifties, and that was reflected in a +4 advantage for marks inside 50.
TIM
When Nick Larkey kicked his fourth goal almost halfway through the third term, North held a seven-point lead over the Bombers, and looked like they had the momentum and were perhaps just one-to-two more goals from breaking them. However, over the next 13 minutes of game time, the Bombers would completely dominate the ‘Roos, forcing them to defend and ultimately expend a lot of energy that cost them in the final minutes of the game.
Once Peter Wright put through his second goal, after winning a wrestle opposed to Aidan Corr, the Bombers took a game-high 13-point lead that North Melbourne were never truly able to claw back. The multiple inside-50s in a row seemed to have a cumulative impact towards the end of the game, and allowed the Bombers to play keeping-off when North needed to man-up.
IF YOU WERE COACH, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?
SLUGGER
Who knows. The Scott brothers are complicated fellows, and maybe they’ve actually thought and tried every tactic known to man? Either way, we got the win and Brad Scott did his job quite effectively. North are a strong clearance team (they were +5 in this one) and the Bombers managed to hamper their ability to score from this source in the second half.
North are also the type of team that if you give them enough rope, they inevitably end up hanging themselves, so I reckon I would echo the thoughts of Brad Scott and ensure the team wasn’t panicked by the closeness of the scoreline at points. North are like a donkey with a spinning wheel when they get the ball, at times. None of them know how they got it and they don’t know what to do with it. If you play solid footy against them, they’ll eventually shoot themselves in the foot. Case in point, watch Jack Ziebell.
TIM
It’s hard to say. Ideally, North would not have been forced to sub out Jackson Archer, and instead would have been able to withdraw either of their ruckmen – Tristan Xerri or Todd Goldstein. Instead, they were not afforded this opportunity, and as a result, lacked run and carry when they needed it most.
The move, though, that seemed to hurt North Melbourne the most was the decision to continue allowing Curtis Taylor to tag Zach Merrett in the second half, while starting on the half-forward line. To be clear, keeping Taylor on Merrett wasn’t a bad decision (Taylor had kept Merrett to just seven possessions in the first half, and just two clearances), but as was made clear on the television coverage several times, allowing Taylor to continue tagging from half-forward meant that North were consistently one down in the attacking half. Again, this in itself is not a problem, but the major issue was that North’s spare wasn’t able to impact enough contests.
In a game that was won by just nine-points, a decision that saw North Melbourne concede five goals to three proved to be the decisive factor.
MOST UNDERRATED PERFORMANCE
SLUGGER
Kyle Langford?
Now hear me out, a lot has been made about Langford’s season and his goal-kicking, but the rest of his game has also been exceptional. Multiple times in this game he was able to stand up in a tackle and work his way to handballing to a teammate’s advantage, putting them in a position to score. He was obviously still dangerous himself, but strong players who can absorb some physicality at ground level are worth their weight in gold.
Before remaking himself as a forward, one of Langford’s greatest strengths was that he was able to use his strength in marking contests when he either pushed forward, r when he worked his wing position to provide an outlet target for defenders exiting 50. To see him now exhibiting that strength as a forward might make you wonder why he spent so much time away from the goal mouth, but he was n slouch when it came to playing other roles, either.
TIM
I really liked the performance of Bailey Scott today. I must admit, I haven’t watched too much of North Melbourne this year (I’m an Eagles supporter, there’s only so much losing I can take), but he just seems to me a classically underrated footballer. There’s nothing in his game that’s especially brilliant – he’s not super-fast or a brilliant overhead mark, but everything he does he seems to do with minimal fuss. He runs hard, always gives everything he’s got and will work overtime to make up for any mistake he or a teammate makes.
Every team that has ever been in existence will have a few players who are purely ‘locker-room’/’team-players’. They’re never the best player, never the most talented nor the most accomplished. But if you ask each of their teammates, they’re the player they’d most want to keep playing with. Bailey Scott seems to be one of these teammates – someone who will tear himself to pieces to make his team a little bit better.
THE MOMENT THAT MATTERED MOST?
SLUGGER
The first is Cunnington’s goal in the first quarter. What a lifter for the day. It was just a good vibe after he kicked that, from everyone – whether you wore red and black, or blue and white. And that is important because these teams rarely see eye to eye on anything, but when someone who has been through so much retires, it transcends petty rivalries.
Cunnington has been an absolute warrior who has given his everything for the North Melbourne Football Club and had his own battles as well. Forget the game itself for a brief moment and you’ll realise that this was the moment that mattered most.
TIM
As I mentioned above, the moment that mattered most was when Dyson Heppell was able to take a contested mark in the centre square. With less than three minutes remaining, Heppell marked inside 50 and his resulting shot put the ball out on the full. This meant that North Melbourne had the ball in the hands of one of their best kicks – Jack Ziebell – with just over two minutes remaining, and only three points the margin. The potential for victory was in their fingertips.
Unfortunately, Ziebell’s kick landed in the hands of Heppell, who quickly found McGrath in-board, got the ball back and kicked a long drop-punt that was marked by a leaping Archie Perkins with less than a minute and a half remaining. Perkins would go back and kick truly, but by the time he’d marked the ball, any chance North Melbourne had of causing an upset had been extinguished.
WHICH PLAYERS LET US DOWN THE MOST?
SLUGGER
Hard to say, but maybe Brandon Zerk-Thatcher? Just had to be better on Larkey and help keep the Roos out of the game. It’s probably a bit harsh given the form Larkey has displayed all season, but in a game where the Bombers had to win, and in a match-up that currently suits him more than on the big hulking forwards, Zerk-Thatcher really should’ve made more of his opportunity.
TIM
Outside of watching football, I enjoy playing a bit of fantasy football. Often, participants of fantasy football find themselves heavily interested in the selection and performance of fringe players, and occasionally players whom supporters themselves might struggle to name.
Because of my affiliation with fantasy football, I have found myself very interested in the plight of North ruckman, Tristan Xerri. He was a legitimate option to select at the start of the year and has always been someone that I’ve monitored as the year has gone on. Having watched him today, though, I must admit that I don’t see the fuss. He looked completely outclassed by the combination of Andrew Phillips, Nick Bryan and even Peter Wright, and if reports recently are correct – that Todd Goldstein is negotiating a new contract – then I don’t think it bodes well for the club’s belief in him.
PLAYER FROM THE OPPOSITION I ADMIRED MOST IN THIS GAME?
SLUGGER
The old triple swirl this time, three licks.
You can’t go past Cunnington. A heart and soul player for a football club. He’s stuck with North and North have stuck with him.
But also, you have to recognise the quality of a player like Nick Larkey who has had a Fevola-esque season just starring up forward for a team with less than a handful of wins for a season.
And then you have the new kid on the block in George Wardlaw, who anyone who sees him play falls in love with him and the way in which he goes about his football.
A lot of love right here for North Melbourne and what is going on at that football club.
TIM
The player I most admired was Nic Martin if I’m honest. But since I’ve already written about him, I’ll write about the person I next admired most – Ben Hobbs. Hobbs was part of one of the more unfortunate recruiting classes – a Victorian playing whose draft year was 2021. This meant that his last two years saw him play virtually no football, and arguably saw him, and his fellow Victorian draft-mates, set back about 12 months in their development.
All of this is to say that his eventual draft position – pick 13 – significantly undervalues what he has been able to produce so far in his career. This year, he’s averaging virtually 20 possessions and almost three and a half clearances per game, far more than anyone can expect from a midfielder with his background, who has less than 40 games under his belt. Today, as if to prove his point, he gathered 29 disposals, 10 of which were contested, had six tackles and three score involvements.
At his height, and with his power of the ball, he reminds me of a young Lachie Neale and if he can become anything like the player Lachie has been, Essendon will have got a steal at his draft price.
WRAP UP
SLUGGER
Well, we got the four points. Scraped through again. The season is still alive, but only just. The boys are doing exactly what they need to; win, no more and no less. The Bombers came up against a team hot and ready to give one of their modern-day greats a send-off and celebration and managed to do what was required.
It’s an Elimination Final next Saturday against the GWS Giants. Forget round 24 against Collingwood, that game doesn’t matter, if we want to have any hope of making finals, we simply have to beat the Giants. As Dori sang to us “Just keep winning, just keep winning”. That was right, yeah?
TIM
Before talking about the wrap-up, I have to acknowledge that one of the best North Melbourne players of the last decade, if not the best, has called time with the conclusion of today’s game. Throughout their history, North Melbourne have had a few players who have epitomised the ‘Shinboner’ spirit – Dani Laidley, Glenn Archer, Brent Harvey and since he was taken at pick 5 of the 2009 draft, Ben Cunnington. Whenever there was a ball to be won for the blue and white over the last decade, it was Cunnington who would put his head over the ball. Again today, as if to typify his career, Cunnington finished with 24 touches – 16 contested – and two fantastic goals and went about his work with minimal fuss. We may never see his like again.
Essendon entered the game needing to win to keep their finals hopes alive and did just that. If results go as expected, they could end the round in 9th position and just half a game out of the eight. This will make their final two games – against GWS at GIANTS Stadium, and against Collingwood at the MCG, must win games.
For North Melbourne, the potential to finish last and ‘win’ the wooden spoon remains alive. Since round 10 (the last 12 games) North have an average losing margin of just 27 points, and most of these games have seen them – as they were today – alive at half-time. Their final two games – against Richmond and Gold Coast – offer the young side a chance at a win, and it will certainly be for their long-term benefit if they can get over the line.
TIM
Before talking about the wrap-up, I have to acknowledge that one of the best North Melbourne players of the last decade, if the best, has called time with the conclusion of today’s game. Throughout their history, North Melbourne have had a few players who have epitomised the ‘Shinboner’ spirit – Dani Laidley, Glenn Archer, Brent Harvey and since he was taken at pick 5 of the 2009 draft, Ben Cunnington. Whenever there was a ball to be won for the blue and white over the last decade, it was Cunnington who would put his head over the ball. Again today, as if to typify his career, Cunnington finished with 24 touches – 16 contested – and two fantastic goals and went about his work with minimal fuss. We may never see his like again.
Essendon entered the game needing to win to keep their finals hopes alive and did just that. If results go as expected, they could end the round in 9th position and just half a game out of the eight. This will make their final two games – against GWS at GIANTS Stadium, and against Collingwood at the MCG, must win games.
For North Melbourne, the potential to finish last and ‘win’ the wooden spoon remains alive. Since round 10 (the last 12 games) North have an average losing margin of just 27 points, and most of these games have seen them – as they were today – alive at half-time. Their final two games – against Richmond and Gold Coast – offer the young side a chance at a win, and it will certainly be for their long-term benefit if they can get over the line.