1. Petrie enjoys the spoils in nail-biter
'The heart and soul of our club' was the message that read on North Melbourne's banner in reference to Drew Petrie's 300-game milestone. Appropriately it was Petrie who kick-started the Roos, collecting a loose ball that bounced through legs deep in the forward line to kick his side's first goal of the match. Wearing a specially designed jumper and logo to commemorate the occasion, the veteran forward kicked two goals to take his career tally to 411 majors. Although his impact on the game was minimal, Petrie's chasing and tackling pressure was vital in the Roos achieving their seventh-straight win. The win also marks the first time the Roos have won seven games in a row since 1978.

Full match coverage and stats

2. Jacobs claims another scalp
Ben Jacobs continues to take down the competition's big names. This time the North tagger did the job on hot Saints midfielder Jack Steven, rendering him ineffectual throughout the entire game. Steven had been averaging a team-high 28.8 disposals per match leading into the game against the Roos. That average took a considerable dive after Jacobs got hold of the Saints' speedster. Steven finished the match with just 15 disposals, and only 10 up until three-quarter time. Jacobs' role was vital in North escaping with a seven-point win.

3. Goldstein shows Hickey who's top dog
The Saints' Tom Hickey is on the rise as a ruckman but on Sunday he ran into the top big man in the competition in Todd Goldstein. Goldstein, who had a down game by his standards against the Western Bulldogs last week, asserted his influence around the ground with 35 hit-outs and had particular impact in the third term as the Roos tried to take the contest away from the dogged Saints. The 2015 All Australian continues to lead the way as the benchmark in the AFL and his ability to cover the ground continues to stand out.

4. Red-time Roos win out
North Melbourne may have taken a handy 19-point buffer into half-time, but the scoreline belied the tight contest on offer at Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Early in the game, St Kilda dominated possession in its forward half, particularly in the second term when the Saints had the ball in their forward zone for 82 per cent of the time. But not being able to translate field position into scoreboard pressure came back to bite the Saints, as North Melbourne made them pay late in quarters. The Kangaroos kicked four of their six goals before half-time in red-time (in the last few minutes of quarters). Those little lapses in concentration, from a young team, were the difference in the game in the end.

5. Wood runs down the clock
With just 22 seconds remaining in the contest, North youngster Mason Wood displayed composure beyond his years to ice the clock and clinch North's seventh-straight win. Wood won a free kick for holding the ball on Jack Newnes deep inside his own forward 50 and proceeded to hold the ball and allow the scoreboard's countdown clock to tick down. Players have 30 seconds to use up before they must begin their run-in and Wood soaked up every moment of his allotted time. It was a big talking point after the match but there's no doubt Wood did the right thing within the parameters of the rules.