Match

Melbourne vs North Melbourne

Commentary / 07 Apr 2018

Pre Game

59:30
Welcome to MCG for the Melbourne v North Melbourne Round 3 clash.
59:33
Outs for Demons: J.Hunt, C.Pedersen
59:34
Ins for Demons: S.Frost, D.Kent
59:35
Outs for Kangaroos: R.Tarrant
59:36
Ins for Kangaroos: M.Daw
59:40
Don't forget to enter your tips for this match, you have until the bounce to make your selection.
00:00
Likewise, North Melbourne has also dominated in the ruck averaging seven more hit-outs to advantage this year, but has conceded on average 7.5 clearances per game to its opposition. The Kangaroos have only conceded 49 points per game so far this season.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
03:33
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Ben Cunnington)
03:39
North Melbourne has opened the scoring with a successful set shot from Ben Cunnington, following just its second forward 50 entry. This season Melbourne has conceded a score from 54.8 per cent of opposition inside 50s (ranked 18th in the league).
07:10
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Jarrad Waite)
08:13
In a fast-paced opening to the match, North Melbourne has been able to make better use of possession. The Kangaroos have been in possession for 27 per cent more game time than the Demons, and have spent 64 per cent of game time inside their forward half.
10:41
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Ben Brown)
10:56
That's three goals for North Melbourne to start the game. The Kangaroos' running game appears to be paying dividends, with eight more handball receives than the Demons and four running bounces compared to zero.
13:14
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Jarrad Waite)
14:51
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tomas Bugg)
16:34
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Dean Kent)
16:38
Melbourne has hit back strongly with two quick goals following the first four to North Melbourne. The Demons have been strong out of the middle with all six centre clearances, following five centre bounce hit-outs at the compared to one by the Kangaroos.
18:48
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Josh Wagner)
19:43
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
20:37
Christian Salem has been in everything in the first term. Playing in the midfield, he's already won a personal best four clearances. He has lined up within the square for five centre bounces and has won the centre clearance on three occasions.
21:26
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Nathan Hrovat)
22:22
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Todd Goldstein)
22:55
North Melbourne is finding goals much easier to come by to start this match than its first two. The Kangaroos have kicked five goals from 11 forward 50 entries, after only five goals in total in Round 1 and only two goals in the first half in Round 2.
23:15
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Jack Ziebell)
26:37
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Jack Ziebell)
28:43
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tomas Bugg)
29:05
Melbourne has switched on since it first went four goals behind. Until that point only 52 per cent of the Demons' kicks were effective, but since then they have a kicking effectiveness of 76 per cent (and 82 per cent inside their forward half).
30:13
The siren has sounded to end Q1.
30:23
An entertaining first quarter sees North Melbourne take a 13-point lead to quarter time, following the first four goals of the game. The Kangaroos' run-and-carry was impressive, with nine more handball receives and five running bounces for the quarter.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
02:03
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
03:57
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bernie Vince)
03:59
Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn is beginning to exert his influence on the match. The 2016 All-Australian has won 11 more hit-outs than Todd Goldstein, and has launched both early Demon goals this quarter through hit-outs to advantage from stoppages.
05:43
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jake Melksham)
08:15
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Christian Petracca)
09:12
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Billy Hartung)
09:30
The Kangaroos have capitalised on the set shot miss by Petracca, transitioning the resulting kick-in directly to a snap shot goal to Hartung. This is the first goal North Melbourne has launched from a kick-in this year.
11:53
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jesse Hogan)
13:29
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jeff Garlett)
14:25
Melbourne has kicked five of the past six goals of the game and now leads by seven points. The Demons have managed six scores from eight forward 50 entries this quarter (75 per cent), well above their season average of 49 per cent (ranked second).
16:55
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Shaun Atley)
17:30
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jake Melksham)
20:25
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tomas Bugg)
20:29
Tom Bugg has kicked his third goal in the first half, to equal his career-high tally across his 95 games. The Demon forward has kicked three goals from as many set shots, while five of Melbourne's eight goals have come from set shots.
21:56
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Petracca)
22:46
Melbourne is dominating all over the ground this quarter, with four more clearances, 33 more disposals, two fewer turnovers and two more tackles than North Melbourne. The Demons have launched four goals from stoppages and 2.2 (14) from intercepts.
23:29
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jesse Hogan)
25:05
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Jy Simpkin)
27:50
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Ben Brown)
28:24
The Kangaroos have managed to keep in touch before half time, sneaking two goals from only two forward 50 entries in the past ten minutes. North Melbourne forward Ben Brown now has kicked 8.1 for the season, following 63.30 last year.
32:34
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Tomas Bugg)
32:36
Just prior to the siren Tom Bugg won Melbourne's fourth free kick inside 50 metres for the quarter, however he was unable to kick his fourth major before half time. Both teams have kicked four goals from free kicks in the first half.
32:38
The siren has sounded to end Q2.
32:48
Melbourne wrestled back control of the game in the second quarter, converting a 13-point deficit into a nine-point lead. In the Demons' highest-scoring quarter of the year, they spent 71 per cent of it within their own forward half.
32:49
The battle at the centre bounce has been intriguing, with Gawn and Goldstein two of the best ruckmen in the league. The Demons have dominated out of the centre, winning 12 more hit-outs (14-2) and 12 more centre clearances (15-3) than the Kangaroos.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
01:22
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Ben Brown)
02:33
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Dean Kent)
03:15
This time Melbourne has cashed in on a rare Ben Brown set shot miss, transitioning end-to-end to goal. The Demons have generated an inside 50 from 30f their kick-ins this season, the second-highest percentage recorded by any side.
05:37
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jeff Garlett)
06:45
Melbourne's dominance out of the middle in the first half with 12 more centre clearances than North Melbourne is significant. Only four other teams have had a greater advantage in centre clearances in the first half since records were first kept in 1999.
07:06
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Christian Salem)
08:05
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Dean Kent)
08:53
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Jarrad Waite)
10:19
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Ben Brown)
11:00
Five of North Melbourne's nine goals have been launched from turnovers, with all but one generated from the midfield. The Kangaroos have won 22 intercepts in the midfield zone, taking the ball inside 50 as a result 14 times, returning 4.3 (27).
12:06
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
13:21
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Ben Brown)
14:00
That's now twice the Kangaroos have been able to generate a forward 50 entry directly from a kick-in, with both resulting in goals. Ben Brown now has taken three contested marks and kicked 2.1 (13) for the quarter.
17:32
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jesse Hogan)
18:32
It's been a unusual quarter. North Melbourne has turned its stoppage deficiency around with all six clearances, but only managed five inside 50s returning 2.2 (14). Melbourne has recorded 16 forward 50 entries yet just managed 1.5 (11) in return.
20:01
Demons Interchange - Jake Melksham off due to the blood rule.
22:30
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jeff Garlett)
22:41
With their 19th forward 50 entry of the term, the Demons have scrounged their second goal. Melbourne's press has allowed it to dominate field position, with 13 forward half intercepts for the quarter while North Melbourne is yet to win one.
28:08
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Dean Kent)
28:48
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Dean Kent)
29:01
The Demons have a third goal to show for much of their third quarter dominance, launched from their 15th forward half intercept of the quarter. This total marks the most forward half intercepts by Melbourne in a third quarter since 2016.
31:04
The siren has sounded to end Q3.
31:14
Melbourne generated 15 more forward 50 entries for the quarter than North Melbourne, yet only stretched its lead by ten points. The Demons were let down by a forward half kicking efficiency of just 33 per cent, compared to 53 per cent by the Kangaroos.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:56
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jordan Lewis)
03:00
The Demons have been damaging from stoppages, but particularly so inside forward 50. Within this zone there have been eight stoppages, with Melbourne winning five of the clearances. All five of these have resulted in scores, in total generating 3.2 (20).
03:11
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Rushed)
05:15
Demons Interchange - Neville Jetta off due to an injury.
05:21
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Dom Tyson)
07:53
Demons Interchange - Max Gawn off due to an injury.
08:33
Michael Hibberd has been a key prong for Melbourne in defence, with a game-high nine intercepts (including five in the second quarter). Since he moved to the Demons, he averages 7.3 intercepts per game (ranked 12th in the league).
09:13
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Nathan Jones)
11:39
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Jarrad Waite)
12:16
Jarad Waite hasn't had a big impact since his two goals in the first quarter, however following a run down of Oscar McDonald he has snapped his third. Last week against St Kilda, Waite recorded career-highs of 13 inside 50s and five score assists.
13:24
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Jeff Garlett)
13:46
With the latest mark and goal to Garlett, Melbourne has taken 13 marks inside forward 50, well in advance of North Melbourne with just six. From marks, the Demons have kicked 6.6 (42) while the Kangaroos have returned just 3.2 (20).
16:35
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Shaun Higgins)
17:29
In his 54th match, Melbourne forward Jesse Hogan has reached a career-high 24 disposals across the match. Hogan has taken seven marks (two contested), as well as five forward 50 entries, while being involved in eight scoring possession chains.
19:42
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tomas Bugg)
20:36
All day Melbourne has had the ability to transition from defensive 50 to forward 50, successfully going end-to-end on 11 occasions from 29 attempts (38 per cent). This is well above the league average of 22 per cent for 2018.
21:27
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Jack Ziebell)
23:17
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Nathan Jones)
24:22
Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn has stood tall as one of the best on the ground. He has won 47 hit-outs, with 14 of those to the advantage of his team mates. He has clearly outperformed Todd Goldstein in the middle, who has won just 14 hit-outs in total.
25:42
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Ben Cunnington)
26:47
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
28:08
Three times this quarter (and five times for the match) the Demons have got the quick reply by launching a goal from the centre clearance. Max Gawn has launched nine scores for the day, the most by any player in a game so far this season.
30:00
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
32:36
The siren has sounded to end Q4.
32:46
Melbourne has won its first game against North Melbourne since 2006, outscoring its opposition by 50 points after half time. Although the Demons only won one extra clearance, they outscore the Kangaroos by eight goals launched from clearances.