Inspired by Kangaroos4eva's thread about our best wins of 2014, I thought a thread where we could rank the best of our 13 (so far) wins would be a good idea. I'll start off.
13. North Melbourne 17.23.125 defeated Brisbane Lions 6.2.38 (ROUND 9)
I left this game feeling incredibly frustrated and angry. The Lions, without Rockliff and Patfull, arguably their two most important players, were no match for the Roos, and trailed by 28 points at quarter time. I, like most of the blue and white faithful, looked forward to the ensuing mauling that would take place. However, we managed an incredibly inaccurate 12.18 to 5.1 after quarter time, going on to win by 87 points with 40 scoring shots to 8. Some of the shots we missed were ridiculous, and we really should've kicked about 25 goals and won by a lot more than 14 goals. We were also very sloppy for most of the game, and would've been beaten by most of the teams in the competition this day. This game saw the return of our skipper Andrew Swallow.
12. North Melbourne 13.14.92 defeated St Kilda 3.15.33 (ROUND 17)
On a cold day in Tasmania, the Roos took on the lowly Saints with not many giving Alan Richardson's men a chance. After a blistering first quarter that ended in a 30 point lead to the home team, again, most North supporters were anticipating a nice percentage boosting win. The Saints started to control the ball though, but couldn't convert in front of goal, finishing with 3.15. The Roos were inaccurate themselves in the final quarter, kicking 1.7 when they could've put the foot to the throat and won by 100+. Still, the boys got the job done.
11. Western Bulldogs 8.6.54 defeated by North Melbourne 12.11.83 (ROUND 2)
After a shock Round 1 loss to Essendon, North looked ahead to the Bulldogs in an effort to redeem themselves. By half time, supporters were, if not asleep, questioning what kind of positives 2014 would bring, because nothing would suggest this team would be making September. With just two goals to their name entering the second half, North kicked into gear slightly, kicking 10.6 to 6.3, led by veteran Brent Harvey. An incredibly scrappy match that ended in a bit of a shootout, the game also saw the second coming of Levi Greenwood.
10. Greater Western Sydney 7.9.51 defeated by North Melbourne 19.12.126 (ROUND 20)
The Roos returned to Canberra for the first time since 2006, taking on the club's newest team in GWS. After the Round 15 capitulation against Brisbane, supporters would've been a bit squeamish at half time, leading by just four points. However, an unstoppable third quarter blitz of 8.3 to 0.1 put an end to the match, before a wasteful 4.6 to 1.3 final quarter really put a dent in the chances of winning by over 100. A nice win though on a good day in the capital of the nation. To this point, it is North's highest score of the season.
9. North Melbourne 17.9.111 defeated Western Bulldogs 8.13.61 (ROUND 21)
A game that tested the professionalism of the team. Just needing a win against the Bulldogs, who can upset the good teams when they come to play, the Roos started well with five majors to one in the first quarter. The Dogs fought back in the second, but a superior second half led by four final quarter goals to Ben Cunnington gave the Roos a nice 50 point win and securing their spot in the top eight. This game is remembered for the return of Daniel Wells, the loss of Daniel Wells, and the three week suspension given to Brent Harvey.
8. Melbourne 10.6.66 defeated by North Melbourne 15.17.107 (ROUND 14)
North's second venture to the MCG for 2014. The Dees, who just a week earlier upset the Bombers and were impressing with their disciplined defensive gameplan, posed a threat to the up-and-down Roos. This was evident when the Roos went into half time leading by 14 points but with most of the momentum in the red and blue camp. Like most wins this year, the Roos came out in the third quarter and blitzed the opposition, kicking 7.4 to 2.4, effectively killing off the contest. A tired last quarter saw 1.5 kicked to the Demons' 2.2, but it was enough for a seven goal victory. Memorable for the debut of Ben Brown.
7. West Coast 6.8.44 defeated by North Melbourne 12.10.82 (ROUND 11)
With the memories of Nic Nat's goal after the siren, the Elimination Final embarrassment and Dean Cox's antics in Hobart, the Eagles were quickly becoming one of North's most hated opponents, and the tempers from supporters of both camps were close to boiling point in the lead-up. The vanilla West Coast outfit couldn't buy a goal in front of their home crowd on this night, kicking just 3.5 after quarter time, with North Melbourne kicking 4.3 in the third quarter to give themselves a decisive advantage. A 38 point victory away from home against West Coast, their second for the year at Patersons Stadium, released another monkey off the back. The game where Andrew Swallow showed that he was officially 'back'.
6. North Melbourne 14.13.97 defeated Port Adelaide 13.12.90 (ROUND 3)
With the hype surrounding Port Adelaide reaching fever pitch, the 2-0 Power ventured to Etihad Stadium with the support of most of the footy nation. North, who had yet to set the world on fire in their 2014 campaign, showed the first signs that they had matured as a group, rallying a few times from a deficit. Leading by one point at half time, the Power slammed on 5.1 to 2.8 in the third quarter to lead by 10 at the final break. An early fourth quarter goal to Jay Schulz had the extremely fit Port side up by 16 early in the last, and it seemed like a fait accompli to most that they would go on to win it. North had better ideas. A superb crumbing goal to Todd Goldstein was followed by, in my opinion, the best single on-field moment North Melbourne has seen in 2014, with Ben Jacobs impressively turning onto his left side and slotting a big goal from nearly 50 metres out. The celebrations that ensued stung North into action, with Boomer goaling just seconds later to give his side the lead. Port wrestled it back with another goal, but some clever play from Nick Dal Santo handed the game back North's way. A final goal to Boomer, from a setshot outside 50, brought down the roof and the Roos had beaten footy's 'invincibles'.
5. North Melbourne 14.17.101 defeated Adelaide 13.16.94 (ROUND 22)
One of the games of the season took place in Hobart late in the season, with the Crows needing a win to keep their September dream alive, while North didn't have the same to play for, with their spot already entrenched. As expected, the Crows threw everything at the Roos, leading by a point at half time and five at three quarter time. Again, like West Coast, North used the memories of Jared Petrenko's goal and the Crows' embarrassment of North earlier in the season at the Adelaide Oval to spur them on, with Jack Ziebell starring, kicking 4.5 from 25 disposals. A 5.5 to 3.5 final quarter had everyone on the edge of their seats, but on the back of some excellent stoppage work from captain Swallow, North hung on for a spirited victory that will no doubt give them great confidence heading into the finals.
4. North Melbourne 17.14.116 defeated Richmond 13.10.88 (ROUND 12)
A game that will be remembered fondly for years to come for North Melbourne fans. In the unusual timeslot of Sunday night, the Tigers, languishing in the lower reaches of the ladder, apparently came to play for this one, leading by 35 points at half time, with Dustin Martin on fire with four majors to this point. The third quarter is one that will go down in the annals of blue and white history. A stunning 8.4 to 1.2 quarter on the back of three goals to Drew Petrie and complete dominance in the midfield. Deflated by their match-winning lead disappearing before their eyes, the Tigers couldn't overcome the North Melbourne might, going down by 28 points after a 13.7 to 3.4 second half. The tears from Richmond supporters after the match were delicious.
3. North Melbourne 10.14.74 defeated Fremantle 8.13.61 (ROUND 6)
I for one did not look forward to this game. On a Friday night at Patersons Stadium, Ryan Crowley suited up to reunite with his good friend Brent Harvey. The Dockers, with the first four goals of the game looked in ominous form, and our chances of winning were quickly disappearing. However, with two late majors, we went in to the second quarter with plenty of momentum, and kicked 3.2 to 2.4 in the second quarter to get within eight points at the main break. We again won the third quarter, booting 2.5 to 2.0, bridging the gap to just three points in a low-scoring affair. In a superb final quarter, North Melbourne kept Fremantle to just five behinds, slotting three goals of their own to snatch a 13 point win on the back of a best on ground performance from Boomer closely followed by Sam Gibson. Could've been ranked higher if I didn't wake up at 3:30am to go to the ANZAC Day dawn service and was struggling to keep my eyes open at 10:30pm during the last quarter.
2. North Melbourne 16.12.108 defeated Hawthorn 13.10.88 (ROUND 16)
On the back of our worst performance of the year against the Lions in Brisbane, North were clear underdogs against the reigning premiers on a Friday night. The Roos started extremely well, controlling the scoreboard in the first quarter to kick 5.3 to 4.2. The Hawks began to come in the second quarter, and had hit the lead by early in the third quarter. Most expected Hawthorn to run away with it from here. What followed was similar to the Richmond third quarter burst. Goal after goal after goal. Petrie bagged three for the term and was involved in one of the most heavily-publicised on-field incidents of the year with Brian Lake. 7.1 to 4.3 gave the Roos a 22 point lead at the final break. Not safe by any stretch of the imagination, North held sway in the last term, kicking 2.5 to 3.1 to win by 20 points, again upsetting a top four team. Dal Santo, Harvey, Greenwood and Hansen all played blinders.
1. Sydney 6.12.48 defeated by North Melbourne 13.13.91 (ROUND 4)
We've had some bloody good wins in 2014, but this is the one I look back on and smile. Sydney, our ultimate bogey side, the one we hadn't beaten since 2007, at the SCG, a ground we haven't won at since 2004, featuring a player that kicked 13.4 against us just a couple of seasons ago. Combined with the fact the game was played in wet, rainy conditions, all signs pointed to a disappointing display against one of the favourites for the flag. To go on and win by 43 points still has me stumped. The Swans were incredibly off that day, but we were incredibly on as well. Scott Thompson killed Buddy. Our midfield went in harder than theirs. Our forward line was more nimble and mobile than theirs. The game was still in the balance at three quarter time, leading by 19 points, but a dominant final term which saw 6.3 to 2.3 kicked saw off the challenge. Wells was our best, kicking three majors from 24 disposals, while Aaron Black played like it was dry and sunny. On the back of the Round 3 performance against Port, another flag fancy, I had genuine hopes after this game that my club, yes, North Melbourne, could be the premiers in 2014.
Now you guys have a try.
13. North Melbourne 17.23.125 defeated Brisbane Lions 6.2.38 (ROUND 9)
I left this game feeling incredibly frustrated and angry. The Lions, without Rockliff and Patfull, arguably their two most important players, were no match for the Roos, and trailed by 28 points at quarter time. I, like most of the blue and white faithful, looked forward to the ensuing mauling that would take place. However, we managed an incredibly inaccurate 12.18 to 5.1 after quarter time, going on to win by 87 points with 40 scoring shots to 8. Some of the shots we missed were ridiculous, and we really should've kicked about 25 goals and won by a lot more than 14 goals. We were also very sloppy for most of the game, and would've been beaten by most of the teams in the competition this day. This game saw the return of our skipper Andrew Swallow.
12. North Melbourne 13.14.92 defeated St Kilda 3.15.33 (ROUND 17)
On a cold day in Tasmania, the Roos took on the lowly Saints with not many giving Alan Richardson's men a chance. After a blistering first quarter that ended in a 30 point lead to the home team, again, most North supporters were anticipating a nice percentage boosting win. The Saints started to control the ball though, but couldn't convert in front of goal, finishing with 3.15. The Roos were inaccurate themselves in the final quarter, kicking 1.7 when they could've put the foot to the throat and won by 100+. Still, the boys got the job done.
11. Western Bulldogs 8.6.54 defeated by North Melbourne 12.11.83 (ROUND 2)
After a shock Round 1 loss to Essendon, North looked ahead to the Bulldogs in an effort to redeem themselves. By half time, supporters were, if not asleep, questioning what kind of positives 2014 would bring, because nothing would suggest this team would be making September. With just two goals to their name entering the second half, North kicked into gear slightly, kicking 10.6 to 6.3, led by veteran Brent Harvey. An incredibly scrappy match that ended in a bit of a shootout, the game also saw the second coming of Levi Greenwood.
10. Greater Western Sydney 7.9.51 defeated by North Melbourne 19.12.126 (ROUND 20)
The Roos returned to Canberra for the first time since 2006, taking on the club's newest team in GWS. After the Round 15 capitulation against Brisbane, supporters would've been a bit squeamish at half time, leading by just four points. However, an unstoppable third quarter blitz of 8.3 to 0.1 put an end to the match, before a wasteful 4.6 to 1.3 final quarter really put a dent in the chances of winning by over 100. A nice win though on a good day in the capital of the nation. To this point, it is North's highest score of the season.
9. North Melbourne 17.9.111 defeated Western Bulldogs 8.13.61 (ROUND 21)
A game that tested the professionalism of the team. Just needing a win against the Bulldogs, who can upset the good teams when they come to play, the Roos started well with five majors to one in the first quarter. The Dogs fought back in the second, but a superior second half led by four final quarter goals to Ben Cunnington gave the Roos a nice 50 point win and securing their spot in the top eight. This game is remembered for the return of Daniel Wells, the loss of Daniel Wells, and the three week suspension given to Brent Harvey.
8. Melbourne 10.6.66 defeated by North Melbourne 15.17.107 (ROUND 14)
North's second venture to the MCG for 2014. The Dees, who just a week earlier upset the Bombers and were impressing with their disciplined defensive gameplan, posed a threat to the up-and-down Roos. This was evident when the Roos went into half time leading by 14 points but with most of the momentum in the red and blue camp. Like most wins this year, the Roos came out in the third quarter and blitzed the opposition, kicking 7.4 to 2.4, effectively killing off the contest. A tired last quarter saw 1.5 kicked to the Demons' 2.2, but it was enough for a seven goal victory. Memorable for the debut of Ben Brown.
7. West Coast 6.8.44 defeated by North Melbourne 12.10.82 (ROUND 11)
With the memories of Nic Nat's goal after the siren, the Elimination Final embarrassment and Dean Cox's antics in Hobart, the Eagles were quickly becoming one of North's most hated opponents, and the tempers from supporters of both camps were close to boiling point in the lead-up. The vanilla West Coast outfit couldn't buy a goal in front of their home crowd on this night, kicking just 3.5 after quarter time, with North Melbourne kicking 4.3 in the third quarter to give themselves a decisive advantage. A 38 point victory away from home against West Coast, their second for the year at Patersons Stadium, released another monkey off the back. The game where Andrew Swallow showed that he was officially 'back'.
6. North Melbourne 14.13.97 defeated Port Adelaide 13.12.90 (ROUND 3)
With the hype surrounding Port Adelaide reaching fever pitch, the 2-0 Power ventured to Etihad Stadium with the support of most of the footy nation. North, who had yet to set the world on fire in their 2014 campaign, showed the first signs that they had matured as a group, rallying a few times from a deficit. Leading by one point at half time, the Power slammed on 5.1 to 2.8 in the third quarter to lead by 10 at the final break. An early fourth quarter goal to Jay Schulz had the extremely fit Port side up by 16 early in the last, and it seemed like a fait accompli to most that they would go on to win it. North had better ideas. A superb crumbing goal to Todd Goldstein was followed by, in my opinion, the best single on-field moment North Melbourne has seen in 2014, with Ben Jacobs impressively turning onto his left side and slotting a big goal from nearly 50 metres out. The celebrations that ensued stung North into action, with Boomer goaling just seconds later to give his side the lead. Port wrestled it back with another goal, but some clever play from Nick Dal Santo handed the game back North's way. A final goal to Boomer, from a setshot outside 50, brought down the roof and the Roos had beaten footy's 'invincibles'.
5. North Melbourne 14.17.101 defeated Adelaide 13.16.94 (ROUND 22)
One of the games of the season took place in Hobart late in the season, with the Crows needing a win to keep their September dream alive, while North didn't have the same to play for, with their spot already entrenched. As expected, the Crows threw everything at the Roos, leading by a point at half time and five at three quarter time. Again, like West Coast, North used the memories of Jared Petrenko's goal and the Crows' embarrassment of North earlier in the season at the Adelaide Oval to spur them on, with Jack Ziebell starring, kicking 4.5 from 25 disposals. A 5.5 to 3.5 final quarter had everyone on the edge of their seats, but on the back of some excellent stoppage work from captain Swallow, North hung on for a spirited victory that will no doubt give them great confidence heading into the finals.
4. North Melbourne 17.14.116 defeated Richmond 13.10.88 (ROUND 12)
A game that will be remembered fondly for years to come for North Melbourne fans. In the unusual timeslot of Sunday night, the Tigers, languishing in the lower reaches of the ladder, apparently came to play for this one, leading by 35 points at half time, with Dustin Martin on fire with four majors to this point. The third quarter is one that will go down in the annals of blue and white history. A stunning 8.4 to 1.2 quarter on the back of three goals to Drew Petrie and complete dominance in the midfield. Deflated by their match-winning lead disappearing before their eyes, the Tigers couldn't overcome the North Melbourne might, going down by 28 points after a 13.7 to 3.4 second half. The tears from Richmond supporters after the match were delicious.
3. North Melbourne 10.14.74 defeated Fremantle 8.13.61 (ROUND 6)
I for one did not look forward to this game. On a Friday night at Patersons Stadium, Ryan Crowley suited up to reunite with his good friend Brent Harvey. The Dockers, with the first four goals of the game looked in ominous form, and our chances of winning were quickly disappearing. However, with two late majors, we went in to the second quarter with plenty of momentum, and kicked 3.2 to 2.4 in the second quarter to get within eight points at the main break. We again won the third quarter, booting 2.5 to 2.0, bridging the gap to just three points in a low-scoring affair. In a superb final quarter, North Melbourne kept Fremantle to just five behinds, slotting three goals of their own to snatch a 13 point win on the back of a best on ground performance from Boomer closely followed by Sam Gibson. Could've been ranked higher if I didn't wake up at 3:30am to go to the ANZAC Day dawn service and was struggling to keep my eyes open at 10:30pm during the last quarter.
2. North Melbourne 16.12.108 defeated Hawthorn 13.10.88 (ROUND 16)
On the back of our worst performance of the year against the Lions in Brisbane, North were clear underdogs against the reigning premiers on a Friday night. The Roos started extremely well, controlling the scoreboard in the first quarter to kick 5.3 to 4.2. The Hawks began to come in the second quarter, and had hit the lead by early in the third quarter. Most expected Hawthorn to run away with it from here. What followed was similar to the Richmond third quarter burst. Goal after goal after goal. Petrie bagged three for the term and was involved in one of the most heavily-publicised on-field incidents of the year with Brian Lake. 7.1 to 4.3 gave the Roos a 22 point lead at the final break. Not safe by any stretch of the imagination, North held sway in the last term, kicking 2.5 to 3.1 to win by 20 points, again upsetting a top four team. Dal Santo, Harvey, Greenwood and Hansen all played blinders.
1. Sydney 6.12.48 defeated by North Melbourne 13.13.91 (ROUND 4)
We've had some bloody good wins in 2014, but this is the one I look back on and smile. Sydney, our ultimate bogey side, the one we hadn't beaten since 2007, at the SCG, a ground we haven't won at since 2004, featuring a player that kicked 13.4 against us just a couple of seasons ago. Combined with the fact the game was played in wet, rainy conditions, all signs pointed to a disappointing display against one of the favourites for the flag. To go on and win by 43 points still has me stumped. The Swans were incredibly off that day, but we were incredibly on as well. Scott Thompson killed Buddy. Our midfield went in harder than theirs. Our forward line was more nimble and mobile than theirs. The game was still in the balance at three quarter time, leading by 19 points, but a dominant final term which saw 6.3 to 2.3 kicked saw off the challenge. Wells was our best, kicking three majors from 24 disposals, while Aaron Black played like it was dry and sunny. On the back of the Round 3 performance against Port, another flag fancy, I had genuine hopes after this game that my club, yes, North Melbourne, could be the premiers in 2014.
Now you guys have a try.
