NORTH Melbourne kicked eight straight goals to record a 36-point win over Fremantle in the NAB Challenge match at Subiaco Oval on Saturday night, in a game significant for a thumb injury to Jess Sinclair and the successful return for Peter Bell.
Despite never leading before the final quarter, the Kangaroos kicked six goals to nil in the last term to record the 12.10 (82) to 6.10 (46) win.
North Melbourne will be delighted with the performance, and in particular with the form of Hamish McIntosh in the ruck, David Hale and Aaron Edwards up forward, Drew Petrie and Daniel Pratt in defence, and youngsters Scott McMahon and Scott Thompson.
However, the injury to Sinclair could sour the trip home. He sat out the game with his hand wrapped and iced after leaving the field midway through the second quarter.
The Kangaroos win was impressive considering they were without captain Adam Simpson, Brent Harvey, Nathan Thompson and Daniel Wells.
Fremantle coach Mark Harvey entered the game viewing it as a chance to give several players their first pre-season match and to rest others before playing close to his best side next week in preparation for round one.
The most notable returnee was Bell, who played his first game for 2008 since moving to Geraldton for work reasons.
He performed well and showed every sign that he will have another strong year.
Coming off a hamstring injury, Rob Warnock also played his first game of the year in the ruck allowing Aaron Sandilands to rest. Veteran Heath Black also returned from a hip injury.
It was a handy list of outs for Freo, including captain Matthew Pavlich, Jeff Farmer, Des Headland, Dean Solomon, Luke McPharlin and Michael Johnson.
Coming off a lost to Adelaide at AAMI Stadium last week, Fremantle started the better and had seven scoring shots to one in the opening quarter.
Freo had 105 disposals to 75 for the quarter, 34 marks to 12 and 12 inside-50s to six, but it didn’t translate to the scoreboard.
Midfielder Byron Schammer kicked the side’s two goals, while Hale goaled in what was the Kangaroos only score of the term.
The Kangaroos kicked the opening goal of the second quarter through former Peel Thunder player Matt Riggio on his return to WA.
That brought the Roos to within four, but a superb goal to Tarrant from near the boundary and another major to Mayne saw the home side lead by 15 points at the main break.
That lead was extended to 21 points at the start of the third when Adam Campbell goaled, but Hale's second and Corey Jones' first saw North back within eight points.
Tarrant nailed his second soon after, but goals to Lindsay Thomas and McIntosh made the margin just one point, the closest it had been since the one-minute mark of the game.
Close enough wasn’t going to be good enough for North, though, as goals to Edwards, Leigh Brown and Brady Rawlings inside of the first three minutes of the final term put them up by 18 points.
Drew Petrie and Edwards then kicked the Kangaroos further ahead, before Daniel Harris received a 100-metre penalty to kick another and extend the lead to 39. Black was subsequently reported for using abusive language towards the umpire.
NORTH MELBOURNE 1.0 2.3 6.6 12.10 (82)
FREMANTLE 2.5 4.6 6.6 6.9 (45)
Goals: North Melbourne: A Edwards 2 D Hale 2 M Riggio C Jones L Thomas H McIntosh L Brown B Rawlings D Petrie D Harris. Fremantle: B Schammer 2 C Tarrant 2 C Maybe A Campbell.
Best: North Melbourne: H McIntosh S Thompson D Pratt D Harris S McMahon D Petrie D Hale. Fremantle: M Carr G Ibbotson D Gilmore R Crowley P Bell C Mayne C Hinkley.
Injuries: North Melbourne: J Sinclair (hand). Fremantle: P Duffield (ankle).
Reports: H Black (Fremantle) for abusive language.
Umpires: H Kennedy G Fila S McBurney.
Crowd: 5614 at Subiaco Oval.
