1. Jacobs claims 'Zacka' as latest victim
North tagger Ben Jacobs enhanced his reputation as the competition's stingiest stopper with an outstanding job on Essendon midfielder David Zaharakis. The Roo kept Zaharakis to just four possessions in the opening half as North held the Bombers to just 0.4. The Bomber midfielder found more of the ball in the second half as his team fought its way back into the contest, but finished with 12 possessions – down from his average of 30 across the first seven rounds – and had little of his usual influence. Jacobs did not totally focus on stopping his man either, winning 14 possessions and kicking an impressive goal off one step in the first term. 

Match report: North holds off Bomber fightback

2. Dons' fightback earns standing ovation
Essendon's 0.4 return in the opening two terms on Saturday was its lowest-scoring first half for more than a century, with the statisticians having to go back to round one, 1915, to find a worst start by the Dons – when they kicked 0.3 against Collingwood. North led by 50 points at half-time and by a game-high 52 points at the 22-minute mark of the third term after a Jarrad Waite behind, but the Bombers hit back with the final three goals before three-quarter time to claw to within 35 points. They looked some chance of causing a massive boilover when Kyle Langford kicked two goals within two minutes to get his team back within 22 points with more than six minutes of play remaining. It was not to be, however, but Joe Daniher kicked the game's final goal to drag the margin back to a very respectable 14 points. The Bombers could take a lot out of the second half too, having outscored the ladder-leader eight goals to two and held the Roos goalless from the 18-minute mark of the third term. It caused their fans to give the losing team a rare standing ovation as they left Etihad Stadium.

3. Boomer's birthday celebration
The competition's oldest player, Brent Harvey, celebrated his 38th birthday on Saturday, becoming just the 13th player in VFL/AFL history to play to such an advanced age. In his 417th game, Harvey was his usual effervescent self against the Bombers. After a productive 10-disposal first half, the veteran had an extraordinary 15 touches in the third term, the highlight coming early in the quarter when he set up a Jarrad Waite goal with a long run down the ground. Harvey looked set to put the finishing touches on day when he streamed into goal early in the final term, but he was caught holding the ball as the Bombers ran out the game far more strongly than North. He finished with 31 possessions, six inside 50s and four score assists to be one of the Roos' best.

4. Grim homecoming for former Roo
Essendon defender Nathan Grima was in unfamiliar territory when he ran out against his former side on Saturday. Grima played 86 games for North from 2009-15 and was playing just his second game for the Bombers after coming out of retirement as one of the Dons' 10 top-up players ahead of this season. Grima's day did not get off to a great start, when his initial opponent Drew Petrie snapped the game's opening goal off his left boot at the three-minute mark. Grima battled gamely all game alongside fellow Essendon tall defenders Michael Hartley and Matt Dea, but must have felt like he was in the land of the giants as North stacked their forward line at times with Petrie, Waite, Ben Brown and Majak Daw. The Roos' tall quartet combined for seven of the Roos' 10 goals, but Grima and company helped quell their influence late in the game.

5. North equal club's best start to season
North's 14-point victory saw it equal the club's best start to a home and away season, the 8-0 opening of 1978 under two-time Kangaroos premiership coach Ron Barassi. Brad Scott's men will be hoping they can go better than their '78 predecessors on two fronts. First, they will get a golden opportunity next week to claim the record outright when they take on a rebuilding Carlton. They will also be hoping their second ends on a happier note than that of Barassi's men, who claimed the 1978 minor premiership before losing to Hawthorn in the Grand Final to miss out on back-to-back flags.