THE WESTERN Bulldogs have spoiled North Melbourne's centenary celebrations, defeating a spirited Kangaroos outfit by 49 points on Thursday night at Marvel Stadium.
After an arm wrestle in the first half, the Dogs broke away after half-time to kick 10 goals to North's five to win 20.14 (134) to 13.7 (85) in front of a crowd of 25,009.
KANGAROOS v BULLDOGS Full match coverage and stats
The victory makes it four in a row for the Bulldogs who move to fourth place on the ladder.
Key forwards from both teams had big nights with Roo Nick Larkey and Bulldog Aaron Naughton kicking five goals apiece, while Sam Darcy, who was held quiet for most of the night by young North defender Wil Dawson, finished with four goals, three of which came in the final term.
North fans will be pleased with their side's efforts, particularly in the first half when they took it up to the more experienced Bulldogs, despite losing key midfielder Luke Davie-Uniacke to concussion in the first quarter.
Key Dogs were the difference in the second half, with their leaders Marcus Bontempelli (25 disposals, 10 tackles, two goals), Ed Richards (26 disposals, nine clearances) and milestone man Tom Liberatore (27 disposals, 10 tackles, six clearances two goals), who was playing his 250th match, helping their side get ascendancy to break away.
It was a high-octane start with nine goals scored in the opening term.
The Dogs kicked two goals in the first three minutes with Laith Vandermeer finding himself free inside 50 before Tim English pushed forward and converted after clunking a contested mark.
North supporters were preparing themselves for a long night, but Larkey had other ideas. The key forward had a spectacular first term, kicking the next three in a row from the Kangaroos' deep entries, beating the Bulldogs' Rory Lobb in one-on-one duels close to goal.
Larkey's run of three goals boosted North's confidence and the energy and pressure of his teammates lifted.
Injury concerns for the Kangaroos came mid-way through the term when Larkey left the ground grabbing at his knee, but returned later in the quarter with his knee strapped, while ball magnet Davies-Uniacke was taken from the ground following an errant Richards forearm to his head when fending off a tackle. Davies-Uniacke was subbed out of the game at the start of the second quarter with concussion.
Teams went goal-for-goal throughout an electric second term with neither team able to break the deadlock.
With in-form forward Darcy being well held, fellow forward Naughton became the most dangerous target for the Dogs inside 50. In the second term alone, Naughton had five scoring shots on goal, converting four and taking five marks.
A huge hip and shoulder between Cam Zurhaar and Richards at the start of the second half left Richards grimacing in pain and the Bulldogs' midfielder left the ground immediately and went straight down into the rooms for assessment. Remarkably, Richards returned later in the quarter and played out the game.
The Bulldogs' leaders lifted with Liberatore, Bontempelli, Dale and Richards wrestling back the momentum the Dogs' way and giving them a 22-point lead with a quarter remaining.
Darcy kicked three final-term goals to make it four for the night, while North could only manage one in the final term, a goal to young star Colby McKercher.
An injury to ruck Tristan Xerri prior to the final siren made things worse for North, with the star looking to have also left the ground with concussion.
Shinboners celebrate their 100-year anniversary
When you think of North Melbourne, names such as Denis Pagan, Glenn Archer, Brent Harvey and Wayne Carey come to mind. Well, they were all there on Thursday night for the centenary celebrations recognising the club's 100th year in the VFL/AFL competition. North players were greeted on the ground by former club legends and were addressed pre-match by Pagan, who coached the club from 1993-2002.
Head knocks a further blow for injury-ravaged Roos
The Kangaroos came into the game missing experienced players Jack Darling, Luke Parker and Luke McDonald as well as young gun George Wardlaw through injury and soreness. It seems as though matters have been made worse on the injury front for North after Thursday night's game, with Davies-Uniacke and Xerri both leaving the ground with head knocks. On a positive note, the Kangaroos have until next Sunday for some of their players to recover before they meet Melbourne at the MCG.
NORTH MELBOURNE 5.2 8.3 12.6 13.7 (85)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 4.2 10.4 15.10 20.14 (134)
GOALS
North Melbourne: Larkey 5, Zurhaar 2, Curtis, Sheezel, Harvey, Maley, Hansen jnr, McKercher
Western Bulldogs: Naughton 5, Darcy 4, English 2, Liberatore 2, Bontempelli 2, Dale 2, Vandermeer, Freijah, West
BEST
North Melbourne: McKercher, Xerri, Larkey, Sheezel, Powell
Western Bulldogs: Naughton, Richards, Liberatore, Kennedy, Dale
INJURIES
North Melbourne: Davies-Uniacke (concussion), Xerri (TBC)
Western Bulldogs: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
North Melbourne: Robert Hansen jnr (replaced Luke Davies-Uniacke in the second quarter)
Western Bulldogs: Lachlan McNeil (unused)
Crowd: 25,009 at Marvel Stadium
