Australian Football

Match Report

North Melbourne has celebrated Brent Harvey's 400th AFL match with a big win over Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday night. Harvey got the first possession of the match, and not muvcj went wrong for the Kangaroos after that as they took a 28-point lead into quarter time and withstood some second-term resistance before running away with the game in the second half to win by 72 points and move into the top eight. Harvey finished the night with 27 disposals and two goals and was among his team's best.

North attacked right from the word go and, after behinds from Sam Gibson and Kayne Turner, registered goals via twin talls Drew Petrie and Ben Brown. Stefan Martin scored Brisbane's first at the 12-minute mark, but the Roos dominated the rest of the first term, with goals to Ben Cunnington, Petrie and Turner giving them a 28-point lead at the first break.

The Lions made a good fist of the game in the first have of the second quarter. They scored three of the first four goals, two of those going to Rohan Bewick, with Petrie's third being North's only goal in that period. Brisbane was within 15 points late in the term, but major from Jack Ziebell gave the Roos a 21-point lead and breathing space at half time. 

A dour affair ensued in the third term, with only two goals scored. Jed Adcock scored a behind for the Lions at the four-minute mark, but that was to be Brisbane's only score of the quarter. Goals to Petrie and Harvey gave North a 32-point lead at the eight-minute mark and there were no further majors for the term. The Kangaroos added a further four behinds, and turned for home with a lead of six goals. 

The final quarter was pure celebration for Brent Harvey and the Roos. Brown and Gibson score goals within the first six minutes, and then Harvey added icing to his 400-game cake with a mark and goal at the nine-minute mark, extending the margin to beyond 50 points. North continued on its way after that, scoring a further four majors through Ryan Bastinac, Brown and Cunnington (two) before Lewis Taylor scored a final consolation goal for Brisbane at the 25-minute mark, leaving North 12-goal victors. 

Along with Harvey, Petrie (four goals, six marks) and Todd Goldstein (39 hitouts, 15 possessions) were standouts for North, with Mitch Robinson (10 tackles, 26 disposals) and Martin (eight marks, 23 touches) among the best for the Lions.

Back in the top eight, North's next assignment is 16th-placed Carlton at Docklands on Saturday night, while the Lions will take on Geelong at Kardinia Park earlier that day. 

GOALS
Brisbane: Bewick 2; Aish, Martin, Taylor
North Melbourne: Petrie 4; Cunnington, Brown 3; Harvey 2; Ziebell, Turner, Gibson, Bastinac

BEST - THE SUNDAY AGE
Brisbane: Robinson, Taylor, Redden, Martin
North Melbourne: Petrie, Brown, Goldstein, Harvey, Higgins, Cunnington 

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Brisbane: Robinson, Martin, Redden, Taylor
North Melbourne: Petrie, Harvey, Brown, Higgins, Dal Santo, Goldstein

INJURIES
Brisbane: Hanley (hamstring) replaced in selected side by Bewick, Beams (shoulder) replaced in selected side by Beasley
North Melbourne: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Brisbane: Dan McStay replaced Hugh Beasley in the third quarter.
North Melbourne: Lindsay Thomas replaced Jarrad Waite in the third quarter.

UMPIRES: Foot, Fisher, Stephens

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATROS: Anthony Hudson, Dermott Brereton