Australian Football

Match Report

Geelong has reclaimed second place on the ladder with a solid win over North Melbourne in the first-ever Friday night match at Kardinia Park. In a match seen as an opportunity for North to display that it was capable of mixing it with the best in the AFL, the Kangaroos were made to look second-rate for much of the first half and the final margin of 20 points was seen by many as flattering to them.

A free kick to Lindsay Thomas saw the Kangaroos draw first blood at the two-minute mark but there was little joy for North for the remainder of the first term as Geelong clicked into gear. Goals to Joel Selwood, Jordan Murdoch, Tom Hawkins, Jesse Stringer and Mitch Duncan saw the Cats out to a 27-point lead before a late major to Drew Petrie cut the quarter-time margin to 21.

The Cats continued on their merry way when the second term began and goals to Murdoch and Corey Enright saw Geelong's lead out to 33 points after just four minutes. To its credit, North managed to halve the remainder of the term, with each side kicking three goals and the margin was still under six goals when the half-time siren sounded.

After an early third-quarter goal to Tom Hawkins, North continued to make a fist of the contest and actually outscored Geelong four goals to three for the term, and at the final change the margin was an even five goals.

Geelong scored the first goal of the final quarter via Jimmy Bartel but North attacked aggressively for the remainder of the match, and greater accuracy in from of goal may have seen a close finish eventuate. As it was, the Kangaroos managed 4.5 for the term, to Geelong's 3.1, and the final margin was 20 points deservedly in the Cats favour.

Best for Geelong were Tom Hawkins (seven marks and four goals three) and Bartel (32 disposals and nine marks), while Levi Greenwood (33 possessions and eight tackles) and Jack Ziebell (27 disposals, five tackles) were among North's better players.

The Cats are now in second place on the ladder, a game behind Port Adelaide, and will take on fifth-placed Sydney at the SCG on Friday night. North are clinging to eighth place, with a 5-4 record. The Kangaroos face a tough challenge at Subiaco next Sunday, where they will take on West Coast.

GOALS
Geelong: Hawkins 4; Murdoch, Bartel 2; Selwood, Stringer, Duncan, Enright, Horlin-Smith, Duncan, Motlop, Blicavs
North Melbourne: Thomas, Petrie 3; Bastinac, Nahas 2; Black, Ziebell, Daw

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Geelong: Bartel, Hawkins, Kelly, Rivers, Guthrie, Selwood, Stokes
North Melbourne: Greenwood, Thomas, Ziebell, Nahas, Harvey

BEST - THE AGE
Geelong: Hawkins, Kelly, Bartel, Guthrie, Stokes, Motlop
North Melbourne: Greenwood, Harvey, Ziebell, Thomas, Bastinac

COACHES' COMMENTS
Chris Scott (Geel): We're happy to comer away with the win. We really focussed on a few changes we needed to make in terms of the way we played and, particularly early, we did that. Late in the game they tested us; they needed to score and really attacked pretty aggressively but the things that we prioritised going in were executed pretty well for most of the night.

Brad Scott (NM): I thought they outplayed us thoroughly. It would have been daylight robbery had we got up. We had 17 entries in the last quarter and nine shots but, even if we'd converted all of those, we still didn't deserve to win. You can't give a good side like Geelong a start like that and be second to the footy and just be obliterated around the contest and outside the contest like that and expect to win.

INJURIES
Geelong: Tom Lonergan (concussion)
North Melbourne: Joel Tippett (right pectoral muscle)

SUBSTITUTES
Geelong: Tom Lonergan replaced by Mark Blicavs in the second quarter.
North Melbourne: Joel Tippett replaced by Ryan Bastinac at half time.

UMPIRES: Donlon, Stevic, Armstrong

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Bruce McAvaney, Dennis Cometti, Leigh Matthews, Tom Harley, Wayne Carey, Matthew Richardson