In his 19th AFL season, it's safe to say North Melbourne veteran Brent Harvey is still going strong. Kangaroos coach Brad Scott was baffled at a press conference during the week over suggestions Harvey went missing in crunch time, "It's a ludicrous comment. Brent Harvey's one of the biggest game players there's ever been," Scott said. And so it was that Harvey bobbed up when his team was crying out for a match-winner on Sunday night. The 35-year-old broke the low-scoring affair open with three goals and 25 calculated possessions to see his team home.

North Melbourne ruckman Daniel Currie had been waiting eight years for his first AFL game. So when he lined up for his first set-shot at goal in the second quarter, it must've been going through his head what a significant milestone he had reached. Alas, it was not to be as a silly free kick against Lindsay Thomas robbed Currie of the opportunity, and he had the ball snatched out of his hands. Still, his persistence paid off as the 25-year-old journeyman nailed his first major early in the third quarter. Following a gameless five-year stint on the Sydney Swans' list and a full-year without getting a senior game at the Kangaroos, it is fair to say persistence has been a common theme in his career.

 

The howls of disbelief from the crowd at half-time said it all. They had just witnessed a half of footy that would have put Paul Roos' 2005 'ugly ducklings' to shame. Both teams kicked just four goals between them in the first half. Yep, four. Congestion ruled and the both teams looked scared to take a risk, prompting SEN commentator, and former Laws of the Game committee member, Kevin Bartlett to brand the game 'under-9s footy'. To the delight of many observers, the second half was in complete contrast to the first as the teams slammed on 16 goals between them.

 

Following an insipid first-round hammering at the hands of Essendon, North Melbourne midfielders Nick Dal Santo and Jack Ziebell were called into question, with AFL legend Dermott Brereton even suggesting Dal Santo would have been dropped if he played that way under former coach Ross Lyon. The veteran recruit responded in kind, bouncing back with a determined display. Dal Santo compiled a team-high 10 contested possessions to finish with a game-high 32 overall touches. Ziebell was a little quiet again, but a knock to the point of his right shoulder in the first quarter may explain the reason behind that.

 

When the game was as scrappy as it was on Sunday night, teams look to their creative game-breakers to show them the way. Robert Murphy has shown throughout his 251-game career what he is capable of when taking the game on, while Luke Dahlhaus and Jackson Macrae are two young Bulldogs on the rise and showing similar characteristics to their older teammate. Murphy was the Bulldogs' best with 25 possessions, while Dahlhaus was a constant flow of energy with 25 himself. Macrae quietly compiled 22 of his own, suggesting he could be one of the most improved young players in the competition this year.

 

Twitter: @AFL_BenGuthrie