For the Roos to be considered worthy finals contenders they simply had to get the job done against the Demons and they didn't disappoint. The Roos' 41-point triumph extended their dominance over Melbourne to 12 straight wins, stretching back to the Dees' 50-point triumph way back in round 20, 2006. North has improved its record to 8-5 and is one game inside the eight, and also just four points from a top-four spot with a soft run to the finals.
2. Funny old game ends badly for Nahas
Robin Nahas could be facing a long spell on the sidelines after his turbulent match was cut short by a suspected broken collarbone in the second term. Nahas was in everything early and he booted North's first goal of the game inside a minute, but then things went pear-shaped. Instead of taking a set shot from 20m, the ex-Tiger inexplicably decided to pass to debutant Ben Brown in the goalsquare and the ball dribbled through for a point. Still, with seven touches for 1.3 he was on track for a solid match before he was driven into the ground in a tackle by Neville Jetta and forced from the field.
3. The Bernie Vince show rolls into the MCG
There must have been something wrong with Bernie Vince because no North players wanted to go anywhere near him in the first half. The former Crow set the MCG alight with three goals, 25 touches, seven marks and four inside 50s to keep the Demons in touch at the main break. Ryan Bastinac paid closer attention to Vince in the second half but the Dees' recruit still finished with a career-high 41 touches in a losing cause.
4. Roos get out of the blocks
North's rollercoaster season has been reflected in its wildly inconsistent starts to matches. In their five losses, the Roos trailed by at least 17 points at half-time and only twice – against Fremantle and Richmond - had they come from behind at the main break to win. On Sunday, North maintained its perfect record when leading at quarter-time. The Roos have won all five of their games when they have been in front at the first change. North has not lost two games in a row this year, but the challenge remains to bring the same intensity every week.
5. Brown takes his chance
Standing at 200cm and sporting a shaggy hair-do, Ben Brown has all the attributes to become a cult hero down at Arden Street. The 21-year-old showed promise on debut after he came into the side for Robbie Tarrant. Last year's No.47 pick in the NAB AFL Draft was occasionally outmuscled in the air early on by the in-form Lynden Dunn, but held five strong grabs as the game wore on. He played a role in Levi Greenwood and Andrew Swallow's goals, before getting in on the act with his first major from a contested mark in the third term. Time will tell if he did enough to earn a second game ahead of Tarrant or Majak Daw, who was best on ground for Werribee on Saturday.
Twitter: @TravKing_AFL
