THE EVER-RELIABLE Drew Petrie has bagged four goals to help lead a resurgent North Melbourne to a 37-point victory over St Kilda.
After a shaky start in Hobart the Roos finished 18.12 (120) to 11.17 (83) to produce their sixth straight win and bound on towards the finals.
Five talking points: North Melbourne v St Kilda
The Saints took to Blundstone Arena with a nothing-to-lose attitude, taking the lead early and holding an eight-point margin at quarter-time, which they stretched to 20 points by the main break.
In the second phase the lacklustre Roos were largely absent from their 50 and if it hadn't been for repeated wayward kicking and fumbles, St Kilda would have established a more commanding advantage.
But a nine-goal haul in the third quarter, of which Petrie kicked three, turned the fortune of the Roos who went to the last break with a 25-point buffer.
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In the 18th minute of the third quarter Petrie gave the Roos the lead for the first time.
"Our ball use was better after half-time and the forwards were higher and competed better," Petrie said after the game.
In the middle, Todd Goldstein finished with 39 hit-outs and captain Andrew Swallow had 25 disposals.
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The Saints had some strong performers on show for the crowd of 14,346.
Forward Josh Bruce was a regular contributor and marked well, but with his one goal came three easy misses.
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Captain Nick Riewoldt finished with two goals, while ruckman Leigh Montagna and centre David Armitage had 33 and 28 disposals respectively.
From earlier - Jack Ziebell reported for this clash with Jack Newnes. http://t.co/zp3ptdS8Dy
— AFL (@AFL) August 15, 2015
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.1 4.3 13.8 18.12 (120)
ST KILDA 3.3 6.11 8.13 11.17 (83)
GOALS
North Melbourne: Petrie 4, Thomas 3, Garner 2, Harvey 2, Atley, Cunnington, Ziebell, Waite, Higgins, Gibson, Nahas
St Kilda: Hickey 2, Riewoldt 2, Bruce 2, Sinclair, Minchington, Newnes, Armitage, Geary,
BEST
North Melbourne: Petrie, Cunnington, Wright, Harvey, Jacobs, Swallow
St Kilda: Montagna, Armitage, Newnes, Geary, Hickey
INJURIES
North Melbourne: Nil
St Kilda: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
North Melbourne: Robin Nahas replaced Taylor Garner at three-quarter time
St Kilda: Josh Saunders replaced Jack Sinclair in the third quarter
Reports: Jack Ziebell (North Melbourne) reported for striking Jack Newnes (St Kilda) in the second quarter
Umpires: Donlon, Deboy, Schmitt
Official crowd: 14,346 at Blundstone Arena
The siren has sounded to end Q4.
North Melbourne trailed by 20 points at half time but a ninegoal third quarter has led to a 37-point win. The Kangaroos had previously never come back to win when trailing by a deficit of 20 points or more at half time in 152 games against the Saints.
GOALSaints (Josh Bruce)
BEHINDSaints (Darren Minchington)
St Kilda InterchangeMaverick Weller off due to an injury.
BEHINDKangaroos (Rushed)
North Melbourne has been far more direct in its play in the second half. Before the main break the Kangaroos had more handballs than kicks (kickhandball ratio of 0.87), but since then they've reverse that balance (ratio of 1.47).
GOALKangaroos (Brent Harvey)
GOALSaints (Nick Riewoldt)
BEHINDKangaroos (Ben Jacobs)
There has been a 63point turnaround to North Melbourne since St Kilda led by 21 points at the 11-minute-mark of the third term. Since then Kangaroos have been lethal from their 22 forward 50 entries, scoring in all but four and kicking 11.7 (73).
GOALKangaroos (Robin Nahas)
North Melbourne has won 14 forward half intercepts, scoring in all but three of them, directly creating 9.2 (56) from these. St Kilda has won 20 possession gains in the forward half but has only directly scored 1.7 (13) from them.
BEHINDKangaroos (Shaun Higgins)
GOALKangaroos (Sam Gibson)
GOALKangaroos (Shaun Higgins)
BEHINDSaints (Jack Steven)
In the first half, St Kilda generated 29 midfield intercepts compared to North Melbourne's 11. Since the main break the Saints have won just four midfield intercepts, with their most recent leading to the Riewoldt goal.
GOALSaints (Nick Riewoldt)
BEHINDSaints (Josh Bruce)
BEHINDKangaroos (Ben Cunnington)
BEHINDSaints (Sam Gilbert)
GOALKangaroos (Jarrad Waite)
Q4 is now underway.
The siren has sounded to end Q3.
North Melbourne has registered its highest score in a third quarter since Round 8 2004, kicking 9.5 (59) to St Kilda's 2.2 (14). The Kangaroos completely changed the game from the second term, registering 19 inside 50s to seven.
BEHINDKangaroos (Rushed)
BEHINDKangaroos (Jarrad Waite)
GOALKangaroos (Brent Harvey)
BEHINDKangaroos (Jarrad Waite)
BEHINDKangaroos (Jarrad Waite)
Both Lindsay Thomas and Drew Petrie have kicked three goals apiece for North Melbourne so far this term. The Kangaroos have kicked 8.1 (49) to 2.2 (14).
GOALKangaroos (Lindsay Thomas)
St Kilda InterchangeJosh Saunders was substituted into the game for Jack Sinclair.
BEHINDKangaroos (Jack Ziebell)
St Kilda InterchangeJimmy Webster replaces Sean Dempster due to the blood rule.
BEHINDSaints (Maverick Weller)
North Melbourne InterchangeLindsay Thomas off due to an injury.
North Melbourne has kicked five goals in eight minutes, from five inside 50s and has taken just 17 disposals to do so. Four of these goals have come from clearances with the other from a St Kilda turnover.
GOALKangaroos (Drew Petrie)
GOALKangaroos (Drew Petrie)
Make that three goals in five minutes to North Melbourne while St Kilda has not registered a single disposal. All three goals have come directly from clearances in the middle.
GOALKangaroos (Lindsay Thomas)
North Melbourne has broken the goalfor-goal streak of eight with two consecutive goals directly from centre bounce clearances, without St Kilda touching the ball. Goldstein won both of these clearances.
GOALKangaroos (Jack Ziebell)
St Kilda InterchangeJarryn Geary replaces Sean Dempster due to the blood rule.
GOALKangaroos (Lindsay Thomas)
GOALSaints (Jarryn Geary)
BEHINDSaints (Josh Bruce)
Garner has kicked a terrific set shot goal from on the boundary line, close to the 50metre arc. This is only the 11th set shot goal this season from any player at such an acute angle at that distance.
GOALKangaroos (Taylor Garner)
GOALSaints (David Armitage)
One area where North Melbourne has had the ascendancy over St Kilda to date is in the air. The Kangaroos have taken 11 contested marks to just four by the Saints. Drew Petrie has taken five contested marks for just the seventh time in his 287game career.
GOALKangaroos (Drew Petrie)
Q3 is now underway.
The siren has sounded to end Q2.
St Kilda went inside forward 50 on 16 more occasions than North Melbourne (215) in the second term. This is the highest differential for the Saints in a quarter since 2012 Round 22 against Greater Western Sydney.
St Kilda has been able to shut down North Melbourne's ball transition. The Saints have enforced 29 midfield intercepts however have only scored 2.6 (18) from them. In contrast, the Kangaroos have won just 11 midfield intercepts, scoring just 1.0 (6).
North Melbourne's 15 inside 50s to half time are the fewest for the club to the main break since 2013 Round 13 against Fremantle when the Kangaroos registered just 12.
Conversely, St Kilda has had no trouble moving the ball from stoppages and intercepts into its forward line, however it has struggled to convert these attempts into majors (36 forward 50 entries for just 6.11).
The story of the first half is very much a tale of two teams: North Melbourne has been almost completely unable to move the ball forward, however when the Kangaroos have done so they have been able to capitalise (4.3 from just 15 inside 50s).
GOALSaints (Tom Hickey)
Both teams have kicked two goals this quarter, however St Kilda has taken the ball inside forward 50 on 19 occasions, while North has done so just the five times.
GOALKangaroos (Drew Petrie)
In the past half hour of football, the game has been almost exclusively played in the St Kilda forward half. The Saints have recorded 26 of the past 32 forward 50 entries of the match, however have only kicked 5.10 (40) to 1.2 (8).
BEHINDSaints (Darren Minchington)
BEHINDSaints (Rushed)
Since North Melbourne led by 12 points at the 17minute-mark, it has only been able to take the ball from defensive 50 to forward 50 on one from 16 attempts (6 per cent). St Kilda has been able to do so on four from eight attempts (50 per cent).
BEHINDSaints (Nick Riewoldt)
GOALSaints (Jack Newnes)
BEHINDSaints (Nick Riewoldt)
There is a very stark trend in this quarter, with North Melbourne only able to take the ball inside 50 on three occasions. St Kilda is completely controlling possession and territory, creating 12 inside 50s, however have only kicked 1.5 (11).
BEHINDSaints (Darren Minchington)
St Kilda is finding far more capacity to control possession of the ball as it moves forward. The Saints have taken 42 uncontested marks while the Kangaroos have claimed just 12.
BEHINDKangaroos (Rushed)
BEHINDSaints (Tom Hickey)
North Melbourne is trying to run the ball out of its defensive half with run and carry, however St Kilda is shutting that down. The Kangaroos have made 10 turnovers in their back half to the Saints' four.
BEHINDSaints (Maverick Weller)
BEHINDSaints (Rushed)
GOALKangaroos (Ben Cunnington)
BEHINDKangaroos (Drew Petrie)
GOALSaints (Darren Minchington)
Q2 is now underway.
The siren has sounded to end Q1.
After North Melbourne had most of the early play, St Kilda capitalised on poor ball use to kick the last three goals of the term. The Kangaroos had a kickhandball ratio of 0.63 that term, the second lowest of any team in a quarter this season.
In the past ten minutes St Kilda's pressure on North Melbourne has helped it take control of the game. Only one of the Kangaroos' nine kicks has been effective, with St Kilda winning seven intercepts and eventually capitalising in a goal to Bruce.
GOALSaints (Josh Bruce)
BEHINDSaints (Rushed)
BEHINDSaints (Rushed)
North Melbourne has been wasteful disposing the ball by foot in the early stages. This quarter the Kangaroos' kicking effectiveness has been 44 per cent, compared to the Saints' 70 per cent.
North Melbourne InterchangeShaun Higgins off due to an injury.
After a number of wasteful early forward 50 entries, St Kilda kick two goals from two consecutive attacking attempts, drawing the scores level.
GOALSaints (Tom Hickey)
GOALSaints (Jack Sinclair)
Brent Harvey has already registered seven disposals, the most of any player on the ground. Today he plays in his 403rd AFL premiership match, drawing level with Kevin Bartlett. Only Michael Tuck has played more senior games (426).
BEHINDKangaroos (Lindsay Thomas)
GOALKangaroos (Shaun Atley)
St Kilda's early effort has been commendable however it has struggled converting attacking attempts into scores. The Saints have gone inside 50 eight times for just one behind. This season they average a score on 43.7 per cent of entries (ranked 16th).
North Melbourne's first goal has derived from Scott Thompson's second intercept mark in his defensive 50. This season the Kangaroos average 19.2 points per game from defensive 50 intercepts (ranked first in the league).
GOALKangaroos (Taylor Garner)
BEHINDSaints (Tom Hickey)
Q1 is now underway.
This season, North Melbourne has generated a goal from 27.1 per cent of its inside 50s (ranked second) while St Kilda has done so only on 22.3 per cent of occasions (ranked 16th).
North Melbourne and St Kilda have met on 152 occasions in VFL/AFL premiership seasons, with St Kilda holding a 7674 winning record and two games drawn. However the Kangaroos have won the past three matches between the sides by an average of 53 points.
Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection. Tippers choice is currently Kangaroos 95.6% and Saints 4.4%.
Changes for Saints Ins: D.Minchington, B.Longer, J.Webster, J.Saunders Outs: S.Savage, P.McCartin, D.McKenzie, J.Lonie
Changes for Kangaroos Ins: M.Firrito Outs: A.Mullett
Welcome to Blundstone Arena for the North Melbourne v St Kilda Round 20 clash.