It’s difficult for interstate teams to win in Perth at any time. It’s  even rarer for them to do it twice in a season. North Melbourne had certainly never managed it before. But after bulldozing their way to victory over Fremantle in April, the Kangaroos completed the double against West Coast. The last team to win twice in Perth in a season was Essendon, which recorded both wins during their strong run early last season. But, before the Dons, you have to go back to 2010 to find an interstate team which won twice in Perth. In that season, both the Sydney Swans and St Kilda were the happy travellers. Back in 1995 - Fremantle’s first season in the competition - both Essendon and Carlton managed to fly out of Perth with eight premiership points.

 

To go along with their breakthrough second victory in Perth in a season, North Melbourne also held West Coast to its first goalless quarter at Patersons Stadium this year and its third lowest score at the ground ever. While Geelong held the Eagles goalless for three quarters in the debacle at Simonds Stadium, it’s not often the likes of Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling, Mark LeCras and Jamie Cripps are held goalless for a quarter at home. Only Geelong and Richmond managed the feat last year, while it was Fremantle and Hawthorn in 2012. The Roos followed up by allowing West Coast just one goal in the third quarter and two in the last. While the defenders did their jobs, it was the quantity and quality of supply from West Coast’s midfield that was lacking. Only Matthew Priddis’s after-the-siren goal allowed West Coast to avoid its lowest ever score at Patersons Stadium.

 

Mark LeCras would have been a very unpopular man in the Eagles’ den last weekend. As West Coast put in arguably its best performance for the season to lose to Collingwood by just eight points at the MCG, LeCras was serving a one-week suspension for a high bump on Giants’ midfield Will Hoskin-Elliott. One couldn’t help but think LeCras might have made the difference against the ‘Pies.  Early against North Melbourne, LeCras kept the Eagles in the match with his ability to read the play and to convert opportunities into two goals. In his previous three matches this season (excluding the match against St Kilda, in which he broke his arm early), he had kicked 11 goals.

The Eagles’ inability to beat teams above them on the ladder has been a major talking point in recent weeks and the loss to North Melbourne will only add fuel to the fire. But for those West Coast supporters hoping for a change in fortunes, a look at the coming fixtures won’t ease the pain. They take on Hawthorn in Tasmania next, before facing off against Gary Ablett’s Suns at home and St Kilda in Melbourne. Then it’s the resurgent Fremantle and a rampant Swans outfit. On current form, West Coast would only start as favourites against St Kilda. And, if the Eagles are 5-10 after that run, their season really is over.

 

Lindsay Thomas limped from the ground just before the three-quarter time siren and could miss the game against Richmond at Etihad Stadium. Roos supporters will be sweating on news of Thomas’s recovery from what looked to be a strain to his right hamstring, which led to the skilful forward being subbed out of the game. While Thomas had only managed one goal and seven disposals for the night, his 20 goals for the season have been important for North Melbourne. Last year, Thomas managed 53 goals and finished seventh in the Coleman Medal.