Australian Football

Match Report

We may only be two rounds into the 2017 season, but we will be hard pressed to find a better and more exciting game than that played between Geelong and North Melbourne on Sunday. The match had everything, and was high-scoring to boot and it went right down to the wire, the result undecided until the final minute. The Cats were barely ahead for the entire match but somehow found themselves ahead when the final siren sounded to win by the narrowest of margins.

Ben Brown got North off to a perfect start with a mark and goal inside the first minute but second-gamer Brandan Parfitt's first AFL goal has scores level after three. Luke McDonald replied almost immediately for North and for the next 20 minutes the Kangaroos held sway, with further majors to Majak Daw, Brown and Trent Dumont giving them a 26-point lead. Dan Menzel pulled one back for the Cats but Shaun Higgins capped off an outstanding first quarter with a long goal and it was North by 25 at the first break.

A slow start to the second quarter saw each side score a behind in the first five minutes before Dan Menzel kicked a goal for Geelong. Jackson Thurlow followed up with another one and when Tom Hawkins kicked his first at the 11 minute-mark, the Cats were within six points. North hit back with goals to Sam Gibson and and Jamie Macmillan but the next two majors went Geelong's way to George Horlin-Smith and Mitch Duncan and the margin was back to six points in favour the Kangaroos at half time.

North opened the third quarter strongly, and goals to Lindsay Thomas and Brown had the Roos ahead by 19 points after three minutes. Hawkins' second had the margin back to 13, but two in a row from Higgins and Thomas saw North back out to a 26-point lead. Another goal to Kayne Turner took the margin beyond 30. Another goal to Menzel was followed by Patrick Dangerfield's first and Geelong was back within 19 but North seemed to have all the answers and, kicking three of age next four goals again extended the margin to 31 points. A lovely post-siren from Tom Hawkins cut it back to 25, but it seemed to be the Kangaroos' match at three-quarter time.

The vital first goal of the final term went Geelong's way to Lachie Henderson and when Mark Blicavs followed up with another major, the margin was just 12 points after six minutes and North fans would have been shifting in their seats. Menzel's fourth goal had the Cats within six halfway through the quarter. Not long after, a great long running goal from Darcy Lang levelled the scores, setting up a grandstand finish.

Marley Williams responded with a great long goal of his own and North was back in front by a goal. Ex-Blue Zach Tuohy missed a shot for Geelong, narrowing the margin to five and then Norlin-Smith was caught high with a minute remaining and he was awarded a kick in front of goal. He kicked truly, and the siren sounded soon after the Cats the winners after an epic struggle.

Dangerfield was in Brownlow Medal-winning form for the Cats, with 37 disposals and seven marks, while Higgins had a great game for North, laying seven tackles and collecting 27 possessions.

Geelong are now 2-0 and they will meet Melbourne, also 2-0 at Docklands, next Saturday. North will 'host' the Giants in Hobart earlier the same day.

GOALS
Geelong: Hawkins, Menzel 4; Horlin-Smith 2; Parfitt, Thurlow, Duncan, Dangerfield, Henderson, Blicavs, Lang
North Melbourne: Brown 3; Higgins, Thomas , Turner 2; McDonald, Daw, Dumont, Gibson, Macmillan, Garner, Simpkin, Williams

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Geelong: Menzel, Dangerfield, Selwood, Hawkins, Mackie, Tuohy
North Melbourne: Higgins, Cunnington, Preuss, Tarrant, Brown, Dumont

BEST - THE AGE
Geelong: Dangerfield, Selwood, Menzel, Duncan, Tuohy, Taylor, Hawkins
North Melbourne: Higgins, Tarrant, Dumont, Cunnington, Ziebell, Preuss, Daw

INJURIES
Geelong: Nil
North Melbourne: Todd Goldstein (ankle) replaced in the selected side by Braydon Preuss, Daw (knee)

REPORST: Braydon Preuss (North Melbourne) for rough conduct on Jackson Thurlow (Geelong) in the second quarter.

UMPIRES: Stevic, Hay, Pannell

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Eddie McGuire, Sandy Roberts, Brad Johnson, Jonathan Brown, Cameron Mooney