North Melbourne and Essendon both deserve credit for playing out a classic final but ultimately it was the Kangaroos that remain alive this September. The Roos will face a wounded Geelong on Friday night in a semi-final at the MCG and will need a more complete performance to challenge the Cats. But Geelong can wait, this is a time for celebration for North, which came from 33 points down in the third term to snap a three-game losing streak in finals and win its first match in September since a 2007 semi-final against Hawthorn. For the vanquished Dons it was a crushing fourth-straight finals defeat and they will have to wait at least one more season for their first finals triumph since 2004.

 

North was caught on the hop by Essendon's early onslaught and it was a couple of wise and cool heads who settled the Roos. Nick Dal Santo played 17 finals - including three Grand Finals - in his previous incarnation as a Saint and his experience was invaluable. Dal Santo gathered five touches inside 15 minutes and calmly slotted North's first goal from a turned over Bombers kick-in. Wells, with six finals under his belt, was everywhere with 10 disposals for the term. None was more important than when he looked inside instead of blazing away at goal from 50m and drilled a pass to Levi Greenwood for the Roos' second goal after 17 minutes.

 

Paul Chapman was recruited by Essendon partly for his big game experience and the veteran ex-Cat produced one of his best performances in red and black in the elimination final. The Roos were all over Essendon in the third term, but Chapman was critical in keeping the Bombers' noses in front. The Norm Smith medallist, who played in 21 finals and three flags for the Cats, had seven poised touches, a couple of centre breaks and booted his second goal with a trademark snap as the Bombers clung to a rapidly diminishing lead.

 

Champions make their names on the biggest stage during September and Joe Daniher bore the hallmarks of a player that had been waiting for his first taste of finals footy since childhood. The 20-year-old sparked the Bombers into action in the opening half, kicking two goals and cleverly pushing a loose ball into space to set up Paul Chapman's first major. He wasn't finished there, either, and provided a focal point all game with Jake Carlisle out of the side. The young Don finished with a career-best four goals and continues to stamp himself as a future superstar.

Player ratings: Essendon 

His shaggy long brown hair has drawn comparisons with The Simpsons character Sideshow Bob, but Kangaroos key forward Ben Brown has the qualities to be the main man for North Melbourne in attack for years to come. The 200cm big man was playing just his ninth career game and first final on Saturday night but was the difference for the Roos in the third quarter. The Tasmanian set the MCG alight after half-time, booting three goals in the space of seven minutes to ignite North's five-goal charge. Brown had just four disposals for the term, but took three marks to go with his goals.

 

The Kangaroos have trialled a number of different key forward combinations this year but in Ben Brown, Aaron Black and Drew Petrie they have a mix that could worry opposition sides. Brown was outstanding in his first final and although Black and Petrie were quiet for long stretches they lifted when the game was on the line. Petrie, playing his eighth career final, had a dirty night until he became the match-winner in the dying minutes, booting two incredible majors from 40m that sent the North faithful into raptures.

 

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