It has been a season of heartbreak for North Melbourne, and the trend continued on Friday night. The Kangaroos' one-point loss was their fifth by six points or less in 2013. This one, however, was slightly different, involving not a fadeout but a stirring final quarter comeback which fell short by the smallest margin. Brad Scott's team is now 6-10 and out of finals contention. What might have been if they'd pinched just two of those five matches.
2. Coast to coast
Young Carlton key defender Matthew Watson has a booming left boot, and he put it to good use late in the first quarter, launching an enormous torpedo from a kick-in. The spiralling punt carried a pack close to the middle of the ground, and a running Eddie Betts swooped on the loose ball. He then handballed to Ed Curnow, who split the sticks from 45 metres out. All in all, the goal took just 14 seconds from end to end. Not to be outdone, the Kangaroos matched the effort in almost identical circumstances in the final quarter, with Scott Thompson's long kick-in finding a dashing Daniel Wells, who found Lindsay Thomas open in the goal square.
3. Worries for Jack
Kangaroo Jack Ziebell got a fright during the second quarter when he received a kick to the right leg – the same leg he fractured in both 2009 and 2010. The midfielder was carried from the ground in pain, with experts fearing the worst. However, after an inspection from club doctors and the application of ice, Ziebell was back on the ground. Blue Zach Tuohy added a bizarre second chapter to the incident a short time later, when he appeared to tap Ziebell's leg with his foot as the pair pushed and shoved just before half-time. Ziebell wasn't happy, and neither was Brent Harvey, who had words with the Irishman after the siren.
4. Small forwards, big impact
Thomas and Carlton's Jeff Garlett both have strong cases for a spot in the forward pocket in this year's All Australian team, and they played as if there was room for only one on Friday night. Thomas, who started the game with 39 goals to his name, added a further six, three of those in a stunning first quarter, and two as the Roos stormed home in the fourth. Not to be outdone, Garlett contributed four of his own, including two superb set shots from against the boundary. His season tally moved to 36 on the back of the haul.
5. Run-on hurts Roos again
Kangaroos vice-captain Drew Petrie told AFL.com.au's AFL Exchange podcast this week that his team was working on stopping teams from turning two quick goals into four or five – something that has plagued North all season. Clearly, it's one thing to practice, and another to execute. The telling part of Friday's match was between the 10 and 16-minute mark of the third quarter, when Carlton piled on four goals in six minutes to extend its lead from nine points to 33. As good as they were for much of the contest – and particularly in the usually problematic final quarter – it was again a brief lapse that brought the Kangaroos unstuck.
