Australian Football

Match Report

A "Friday night thriller" at Subiaco has ended in a thrilling win for West Coast and a third dose of heartbreak for the season for North Melbourne after a post-final siren goal Eagle Nic Naitanui clinched victory for the Eagles in front of 38,000 screaming fans.

The Eagles trailed at every change but attacked furiously in the last few minutes of the match to get within a goal. Then, with under a minute remaining, Adam Selwood was awarded a controversial free kick for high contact. His resultant free kick was sent to the top of the square, where Nic Naitanui took a towering mark. The siren sounded seconds later and Naitanui faced the task of kicking a goal from 20 metres out on a slight angle to give West Coast victory. Naitanui handled the pressure with ease, splitting the big sticks before running triumphantly towards the euphoric crowd and being mobbed by his teammates.

The win kept West Coast just a game away from a top eight spot but condemned the Kangaroos to a 3-5 record and 13th place on the ladder. Things could have been very different for North Melbourne, who have lost three games already this season by less than a goal, including to both of the top two sides, Hawthorn and Geelong. Victory in two of those three games would have had North firmly entrenched in the top eight and wins in all three would have seen them in equal-top spot.

Earlier in the match a much anticipated "showdown" was greeted by a huge roar from the crowd when Naitanui and North's Majak Daw contested a ruck contest for the first time. Naitainui, whose parents are Fijian, and Daw, who was born in Sudan have been hailed a poster boys of multiculturalism in the AFL. For the record, it was Daw - to the surprise of many - who won that first ruck contest, although Naitanui squared the ledger on the following occasion.

For the Eagles, Naitanui and Matt Priddis were among their best, while North were well served by veteran Brent Harvey and Daniel Wells.

West will have a chance at breaking into the eight in round nine when they take on GWS at the Sydney Showground, while North Melbourne will make up some ground if they can defeat Adelaide at Docklands on Sunday.

GOALS
West Coast: Hill 3; Kennedy, Shuey 2; Cox, Darling, LeCras, Masten, Naitanui
North Melbourne: Black 3; Harvey 2; Wright, Wells, Thompson, Petrie, Cunnington, Daw, Ziebell, Swallow

BEST - WATODAY.COM.AU
West Coast: Priddis, Naitanui, Masten, Mackenzie, Shuey, Hill
North Melbourne: Hansen, Goldstein, Harvey, Cunnington, Wells, Black

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
West Coast: Glass, Naitanui, Hurn, Priddis, S.Selwood, Gaff
North Melbourne: Harvey, Wells, Black, Cunnington, Mullett, Goldstein

COACHES' COMMENTS
John Worsfold (WCo): We knew that we had to kick goals in that last 10 or 15 minutes, so changed a few things up to just try and attack hard and get some scoring opportunities. [There were] a couple of outstanding efforts to get goals to get us back within reach.

Brad Scott (NM): We were leading for just about the entire game so it's obviously bitterly disappointing to lose from that position but we didn't close it out. We were never able at any point in the game to put it beyond doubt. There a good side and they kept persisting. We made a couple of mistakes at the end and they did a couple of very good things.

INJURIES
West Coast: Wellingham (left ankle), Schofield (finger)
North Melbourne: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
West Coast: Brad Sheppard replaced Sharrod Wellingham during the second quarter
North Melbourne: Sam Gibson replaced Majak Daw during the third quarter

REPORTS
West Coast: Nil
North Melbourne: Scott Thompson for striking against Matt Rosa (West Coast) in the second quarter

UMPIRES: Dalgleish, Nicholls, Meredith