Australian Football

Match Report

A big third quarter has helped North Melbourne overvcome Richmond on Saturday at Bellerive Oval and move within percentage of a place in the top eight. The Kangaroos led throughout the match but were only six points clear at the long break. However, a seven-goal-to-one third term  saw the Roos take complete control and, although they were outscored by the Tigers in the last quarter, cruised to a 35-point victory.

North Melbourne started the match with a rush with a Brent Harvey goal sandwiched in between Ben Brown behinds in the first six minutes. An even struggle with neither side scoring a major ensued over the next 10 minutes before Dustin Martin broke Richmond's drought to leave the Tigers just one point behind. Shaun Higgins kicked his first at the 19-minute mark to put North seven points ahead but Jack Riewoldt made the difference one point again with his first major at the 27-minute mark. Brown closed the quarter out with a goal and it was the Roos by seven at the first break.

It was dour again in the first 10 minutes of the second term, both sides trading in behinds until Richmond's Shane Edwards brought the difference back to a point with his first goal. Another goalless period followed before Lindsay Thomas goaled for North at the 16-minute mark to give North a nine-point lead. Steve Morris added one for the Tigers but Robin Nahas responded for the Kangaroos before a major from Ivan Maric once again reduced the difference to under a goal. It remained that way until the last minute of the half, when a late goal from Harvey saw North lead by seven at the long break. 

Brandon Ellis had a chance to reduce the margin to a point when he marked within the first three minutes of the second half but his shot at goal from inside 50 missed. Thomas kicked his second a couple of minutes later to put North two goals clear and, although the Tigers kicked the next goal through Riewoldt, the Kangaroos proceeded to get right on top after that. They kicked the next six in a row, shared between Drew Petrie, Higgins, Thomas (2), Jarrad Waite and Sam Waite, and led by a commanding 41 points at the final change. 

With the sting out of the game, both sides went through the motions in the last term. Anthony Miles and Riewoldt goaled to give Richmond brief hope, but three in a row to North via Higgins, Thomas and Nahas settled the matter once and for all. The Tigers closed out the match with goals to Troy Chaplin and Miles but North cantered to a 36-point win in the end.

Best for North included Petrie (10 marks, 21 disposals), Todd Goldstein (36 hitouts and 11 possessions) and Thomas (five goals) while Richmond's better players included Miles (30 touches and two goals), Martin (30 possessions and five marks) and Edwards (eight tackles, 19 disposals).

In ninth place with a 3-3 record, North will push for a place in the top eight when it takes on Essendon in this week's Friday-night game, while Richmond (13th with a 2-4 record) will need to defeat Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday to stay in touch with those pushing for a place in the September action.

GOALS
North Melbourne: Thomas 5; Higgins 3; Harvey, Nahas 2; Brown, Wright, Petrie, Waite
Richmond: Riewoldt 3; Miles 2; Martin, Maric, Morris, Edwards, Chaplin

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
North Melbourne: Petrie, Thomas, Harvey, Goldstein, Jacobs, Ziebell, Wright
Richmond: Miles, Martin, Edwards, Grigg, Riewoldt

BEST - THE SUNDAY AGE
North Melbourne: Goldstein, Higgins, Cunnington, Thomas, Petrie, Ziebell, Harvey, Jacobs
Richmond: Martin, Miles, Edwards, Grimes, Riewoldt.

INJURIES 
North Melbourne: Jamie Macmillan (Achilles) replaced in selected side by Ben Jacobs
Richmond: Ben Griffiths (concussion)

SUBSTITUTES
North Melbourne: Lachlan Hansen replaced by Ryan Bastinac in the final quarter.
Richmond: Ben Griffiths replaced by Nathan Gordon at quarter-time.

UMPIRES: Foot, Meredith, Mollison

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Hamish McLachlan, Basil Zempilas, Tim Watson, Andrew Welsh