It's a nightmare that just keeps happening for the Kangaroos. This time they led by 33 points at the 24-minute mark of the third quarter. Surely they couldn't lose. But it's North Melbourne and for the fifth time this season they gave up a lead in the last quarter to throw away four points. It was 41 points against Geelong, 30 against Adelaide (in the last 10 minutes), after-the-siren against West Coast, and now this against the Lions. With finals seemingly out of the equation again, this will be a season remembered for all the wrong reasons.

The Lions looked down and out at half-time. Not only did they trail by 26 points, but they were getting beaten in most statistical categories and needed a lift. Along came Pearce Hanley. He started with the first goal of the second half and backed it up minutes later with a brilliant running right footed snap from the boundary line to breathe life into the contest. Then with the game there for the taking late in the fourth quarter, he baulked, shrugged a tackle and kicked the match-sealer with a right footed screw kick. He finished with 15 quality disposals and three goals and now has to be outside chance to win an All Australian berth.

It's one of the anomalies of the game – how does a team have the ball 49 more times yet lose? But that's what happened? The Kangaroos won the disposal count 344-295, yet somehow the Lions went inside 50 an incredible 57 times to 42. They made the most of their chances to generate 27 scoring shots and run over the Kangaroos. 

Earlier this week Lions coach Michael Voss wasn't happy with the umpires, saying some things were not being "adjudicated exactly the same for both sides". He's not likely to be any happier after losing the free kick count 22-18 against the Roos. The Lions are ranked 16th in the competition for free kick differential (-2.2 per match), while North Melbourne have been the umpires' darlings all season, ranked number one (+4.6 per match). The Lions fans were at their most ropable when Ash McGrath was whistled twice in 60 seconds for pushes in the back after taking marks within goal-scoring range.

Lachie Hansen barely lasted five minutes after an innocuous incident when Hanley left him dazed. Hansen's jaw appeared to clip Hanley's shoulder and send the big defender into Disneyland. He was taken off to be assessed for concussion but was quickly subbed out for Brad McKenzie. Coach Brad Scott said North had little choice but to pull the trigger on the sub. "A guy gets a head knock these days and he's not coming back on, because the doctors are paranoid and our doctor's got a reason to be paranoid, particularly when it comes to Lachie Hansen," Scott said, referring to Hansen's history of head knocks. Scott went on to say he would be "guided by the doctors" in regards to his future availability.