North Melbourne defeats Western Bulldogs in challenging conditions at Arden Street Oval.
North Melbourne has continued its undefeated season with a 55-point win over a young Western Bulldogs outfit in challenging weather conditions at Arden Street Oval.
It was a game of two halves, the first with sunshine and clear sky and the second with gloomy clouds and rain, with the Kangaroos responding best to the conditions to win 8.11 (59) to the Bulldogs’ 0.4 (4).
It was a closer game than the scoreboard suggests, with the Bulldogs winning clearances and inside 50s in the first half. However, the youthful Dogs struggled to convert these opportunities into goals, finishing with no goals from their 23 forward-50 entries.
In contrast, the more experienced Kangaroos were much more meticulous. Their clean ball use let them to transition from end to end, which was frequently initiated by defenders Libby Birch and Tess Craven.
After turning the ball over in the Bulldogs’ forward half, the Kangaroos moved the ball from defence to offense with ease and speed. The rapid ball movement enabled various North forwards to get separation from their opponents ahead of the ball, giving Kangaroos midfielders a wealth of choices when attempting to strike a target inside 50.
The Kangaroos had nine scoring shots in the first half, but only three goals: one apiece from Niamh Martin, Emma King, and Tahlia Randall.
The rain began to fall in the second half, making things difficult for everyone engaged. North responded best to the wet weather, with Jas Garner, who had a quiet first half by her lofty standards, scoring the first two goals of the second half.
Things became worse for the Bulldogs when captain Deanna Berry departed the field due to illness and Lauren Ahrens suffered a foot injury, neither of whom returned to the game.
Garner (19 disposals, two goals) and Ash Riddell (25 disposals, five inside 50s) both led their teams, winning clearances and thus inside 50s, with the Kangaroos finishing +6 for inside 50s in the third quarter.
The Kangaroos added to their tally in the final term with a second goal from Martin and a goal on the siren from Ash Riddell, extending their lead to 55 points.
Work in progress.
There were many encouraging signs for the young Bulldogs team today. At halftime, the Bulldogs led North Melbourne in clearances inside the 50. The Dogs’ next stage is to convert these opportunities into scores, but coach Tam Hyett will be able to take a lot of positives from the first half.
Wet weather Kangas North has faced wet weather challenges this season, including games against Port Adelaide at Whitten Oval in week four and the Tigers in Launceston last week. Today’s game consisted of two halves. The sun shone for the first half, but at halftime, the rain began to fall, making for difficult conditions for the Roos once again.
North Melbourne will take an eight-day break before facing Sydney at North Hobart Oval on Sunday. The Bulldogs will play Essendon under lights at Whitten Oval on Friday night.
North Melbourne 2.5 3.6 6.8 8.11 (59)
Western Bulldogs 0.2 0.4 0.4 0.4 (4)
GOALS: North Melbourne: Garner 2, E.King 2, Martin 2, Randall, Riddell.
Western Bulldogs: Nil
North Melbourne’s best players are Birch, Craven, Randall, Garner, and Riddell.
Western Bulldogs: Pritchard, Fitzgerald, Gorham, Edmonds, and Hartwig
North Melbourne has no injuries, while the Western Bulldogs have Berry (sickness) and Ahrens (foot).
Reports: Nil
Crowd: 2,457 on Arden St.
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