Cunnington gives back to Goldstein for the first centre clearance, Petrie gathers the bouncing ball at the hotspot and gives to Thomas to run into the open goal!
Duncan burns off McDonald on a run down the wing, the young kid is blowing up as he watches Duncan stream to 35m on the flank and goal. (Q1 2:35)
Enright is claimed by Petrie on the flank 30m out and has his arm pinned, HTB free results. Petrie goals. (Q1 5:13)
Harvey kicks blind from the wing to the flank 35m out, Kelly has it covered but gets spoiled by his own teammate Bartel, Kelly’s man Thomas roves and goals. (Q1 6:50)
Dal Santo clears from the next centre bounce to Turner who gives to Thomas… a third goal inside the first five minutes, from 35m on a slight angle! (Q1 8:08)
Walker marks 35m out on a slight angle and boots the second Geelong goal. (Q1 11:20)
Dal Santo waits in the centre, then gets a very easy pass to Petrie who had Lonergan cold on a lead to 35m on a slight angle. Petrie goals. (Q1 13:24)
Horlin-Smith catches Thompson HTB on the wing, Bartel roves and bounces a ball in front of Caddy, who gathers and shoots from 50m on the flank… narrow. (Q1 16:33)
Brown taps a ground ball to Turner who snaps on the turn 20m out in front… was it touched off the boot? Video review says no, goal to North. (Q1 17:35)
Ziebell hits Petrie on a fast break at 45m on a slight angle, with an intelligent long kick from the wing. Petrie misses. (Q1 26:36)
Mackie’s kick in goes straight over the head of Blicavs at the hotspot, Goldstein roves and goals with ease! (Q1 27:21)
Walker marks over MacMillan at 40m on a slight angle, his set shot is ugly but it wobbles through. (Q1 30:34)
Caddy hits Hawkins with a centre clearance kick to much the same spot as Walker’s previous shot. The Tomahawk repeats the dose with a much prettier attempt. (Q1 32:10)
Hawkins marks again just before the QT siren at 45m on the flank. He starts it left, but it swings right for a big goal. (Q1 34:51)
Brad Scott will look at the stats at QT and wonder how North is only two goals in front. Goldstein monstering in ruck, disposals 110-66, but the Cats have pinched five goals. (Qtr Time)
Mind you, two of North’s goals came from horrible Cat clangers, which you wouldn’t think would keep happening. (Qtr Time)
Caddy gathers a pressured Grima clearance kick to the HFF and finds Hawkins on the boundary 25m out. Hawkins misses. (Q2 0:26)
Wells kicks long from a big scramble in the back pocket, the bounce favours Harvey who bounces twice to CHF then encounters traffic, eventually Brown gives to Petrie for the goal. (Q2 5:22)
Brown splits a pack at the hotspot, the crumb falls behind the pack where Thomas can’t get a handle, he throws a boot at it… wide. (Q2 7:55)
Guthrie gives to Bartel who tries a right foot snap across the body from 40m in front… McDonald gets back to the square to rush it. (Q2 9:24)
Petrie roves a Lonergan drop at 55m on a slight angle and snaps instinctively… it bounces past Brown for a behind. (Q2 10:48)
Ben Brown shows tremendous hands to mark in the centre, then gives to McDonald who kicks to the hotspot for Thomas to mark in traffic. LT misses. (Q2 11:53)
Enright finds Rivers near the boundary 45m out. Rivers hits the post. (Q2 17:23)
Ben Brown roves a Petrie contest at the hotspot but misses under a tackle. (Q2 18:23)
Motlop dives and marks a Hawkins ball near the intersection of 50m and boundary. His set shot drops on the line, Goldstein touches it through. (Q2 19:38)
Petrie dives and is paid a mark at 50m on a slight angle, replay shows it bounced in his hands. He misses, footy gods smile. (Q2 20:53)
Hawkins drops the kick in outside CHB, Grima roves and kicks, Harvey roves the pack 25m out on the flank and snaps truly off the left boot! (Q2 21:42)
Walker marks a short Motlop ball near the boundary 20m out, Firrito’s late challenge causes a melee but no 50m penalty. Walker misses. (Q2 23:08)
A goalless Q2 for the Cats, and the problem for them is figuring out their forward line. Walker is taking some grabs but Brown and Murdoch are nowhere, and Hawkins can’t do it all. (Half Time)
The bottom six for Geelong is not up to scratch, while bottom six players for North like Wright, Turner and McDonald are playing out of their skins. (Half Time)
Yet again Selwood is being asked to do too much, albeit Caddy is chipping in here and there. Motlop and Varcoe are obviously not running on top of the ground. (Half Time)
Nevertheless: never write off Geelong. (Half Time)
Caddy marks 60m out on a slight angle and goes long to the square… bounces behind the pack and through for a point. (Q3 0:56)
Goldstein is pickpocketed but then catches Blicavs HTB after a stoppage at 35m on the flank. He misses. (Q3 3:51)
After a long period of frontal pressure by Geelong, Motlop volleys from a stoppage at 25m on a slight angle but it’s OOTF. (Q3 7:57)
From the free in the BP, North rebounds up the guts Cat style, taking risks and taking the game on. McDonald bombs long to the hotspot, Black is behind to crumb and run into goal! (Q3 8:36)
Hawkins wins a ground footy 20m out in front and gives over his head to Selwood who has Caddy running past to goal from the flank. (Q3 9:54)
Neither side’s forward lines are working particularly well in Q3. Advantage: North Melbourne. (Q3 10:54)
Gibson roves a Turner contest on the HFF and gives wide to Dal Santo, who has time to measure a snap off a step from 40m off the trusty left… and NDS steers it through! (Q3 11:41)
Blicavs gets a ruck free on Brown at 45m on a slight angle. His set shot drops on the line but the goal ump rules the ball cleared it for a goal. (Q3 14:31)
Thurlow baulks 35m out on a slight angle on from his own goal but runs into the tackle by Petrie. HTB free, Petrie goals. (Q3 18:51)
That goal started with a Gibson HTB free on the wing, underlining his BOG credentials. (Q3 19:36)
Mackie dives and rushes a Greenwood grubber from near the behind line. (Q3 20:27)
Motlop bounces free down the wing, reaches 50m on a slight angle and misses. (Q3 23:11)
Horlin-Smith kicks from a stoppage on the wing, Hawkins is playing in front and beats Grima all ends up to mark 40m out on a slight angle. Hawkins misses. (Q3 26:37)
Varcoe catches Swallow HTB on the flank 55m out, then centres to Enright just inside CHF. Enright goals in the last minute before 3QT. (Q3 29:07)
Caddy clears from the first centre bounce of Q4, McDonald spoils McCarthy but the latter butters up and hits the square… Walker outmarks Thompson and goals! (Q4 0:57)
Black marks a low Dal Santo ball to 40m on the flank. He walks in right and kicks left, wrong side of the post. (Q4 2:37)
Harvey passes to Thomas near the boundary 45m out. His set shot drifts wide… Black marks in front of two Cats who failed to spoil! But he misses. (Q4 4:22)
Hawkins marks inside a big pack 40m out on the flank, Grima lost body contact at the last moment. He misses. (Q4 6:06)
Guthrie gets a free on the HFF and quickly goes to the top of the square… Firrito’s fist of justice rushes it for a behind. (Q4 6:47)
Kelly’s rebound kick from the HBF is straight to Wells who has Turner 45m out in front. Turner gives back to Wells whose snap is marked on the behind line by Geelong. (Q4 8:42)
Black roves a Ziebell contest at 25m on the flank, gets tackled and misses. (Q4 10:23)
Ziebell marks a long ball intended for Brown at 40m on the flank, Caddy drops his head as he didn’t challenge. Jay-Z goals, that’s almost the sealer! (Q4 11:22)
Greenwood roves Goldstein at the centre bounce and kicks long, Petrie contests, Thomas crumbs at full pace and shoots off the left from 40m on a slight angle… wide. (Q4 12:41)
Ziebell marks in front of Varcoe at 45m on the flank, leading well in front of him. Jay-Z goals again, that’s the sealer! (Q4 13:55)
Hawkins pushes off Thompson and marks 45m out on the flank, then sails a big set shot over the pack for a goal. (Q4 16:07)
McCarthy strips Greenwood in a tackle on the wing, Motlop roves and has a ping from 50m on a slight angle… Firrito gets back on the line to touch it! (Q4 17:42)
Hawkins gets a free for a hold by Thompson in a marking contest at 20m on the flank. He goals. (Q4 18:37)
Harvey baulks Duncan on the HFF, thinks about going himself but decides on a short pass to Greenwood at 30m on a slight angle. Greenwood hits the post. (Q4 20:08)
Cunnington drops the kick in on the HBF, Murdoch roves and bombs long down the line… Hawkins marks falling back at 45m on the flank! But he misses. (Q4 21:07)
5:21 left, still time if the Cats have one last big escape in them. (Q4 21:37)
Taylor marks the kick in, plays on and hits the square… Hawkins marks and goals! 4:44 left, 13 points in it! (Q4 22:12)
BLicavs gets a ruck free and bombs long from the centre, Hawkins’s handball outside the pack results in a stoppage. Caddy roves in the pocket and gives to McCarthy, snap… (Q4 23:42)
McCarthy’s snap from 20m is touched off the boot by Thompson, after video review confirmation. (Q4 24:08)
Dal Santo roves the kick in on the HBF and pokes a pass to Wells, thence to Petrie on the wing. Cunnington gets the inside 50 but North eventually starts some tempo. (Q4 25:10)
Motlop starts a rebound after spoiling Thomas on the HBF, 3:00 left, Hawkins goes to Stokes on the HFF, he goes long… Bartel marks on the behind line! Jimmy goals! (Q4 26:38)
Never, never, never write off Geelong. (Q4 26:38)
2:26 at the next bounce. (Q4 26:53)
Selwood clears by hand from the next bounce to Varcoe, who gives to Mackie… his inside 50 is wayward, stoppage 35m out then a second one. 1:58. (Q4 27:39)
Selwood roves and kicks to the square… two Cats spoil each other, cleared, stoppage on the Cat HFF, 1:40. (Q4 28:30)
Bartel falls into Turner’s back from that stoppage, the kid kicks down the line to the wing, Dal Santo roves and kicks, Kelly beats THomas to rebound, Guthrie to Selwood… (Q4 29:42)
Turner smothers Selwood, stoppage on the wing, 0:59. (Q4 29:42)
Ziebell is pinged HTB under a Stokes tackle, the inside 50 is wide, stoppage in the pocket, 0:41. (Q4 30:24)
Swallow roves and kicks to the HBF, paid deliberate OOB! Mackie hits the hotspot… Goldstein marks in a huge pack! (Q4 30:55)
Dal Santo marks on the HBF but his kick to the wing goes to Mitch Brown, he doesn’t go quickly enough, siren sounds, North wins! (Q4 31:09)
