“We probably played 30 to 40 minutes of the football we wanted to play,” McRae said. “This is a tough competition,and I don’t want to take anything away from North Melbourne.”
Nick Larkey kicked five goals and Ben McKay was brilliant in defence,but they could only score two behinds in the final quarter as Collingwood cashed in on their momentum.
It was a lucky escape for Collingwood,but whether it will create a way out for Noble remains to be seen as the Kangaroos kicked their highest score for the season but still couldn’t find a way to win.
High contact free re-interpreted
Jack Ginnivan appears to have pushed the umpiring fraternity over the edge. They paid the small forward a free kick for high contact early in the game,but then in the second half decided the free kick was not going to be paid. Midway through the third quarter Ginnivan accepted a handball on the boundary and dived into a North Melbourne tackle,where he was clearly taken high. However,the umpire called play on before awarding the Kangaroos’ tackler a free for holding the ball. Ginnivan has made a name for himself in that area and the umpires are telling him to change. It’s a fine balance as he was awarded a free kick late in the game when Aidan Corr attacked him with ferocity. McRae refused to buy into the discussion but re-iterated,his view it was a skill to win such free kicks.
Collingwood:4.2 5.2 8.5 13.10 (88)
North Melbourne:4.2 8.4 12.7 12.9 (81)
Goals
Collingwood:Cameron 3,Ginnivan 2,Elliott 2,Sidebottom 2,Josh Daicos,Mihocek,McCreery,Nick Daicos.
North Melbourne:Larkey 5,Goldstein 2,Ziebell 2,Zurhaar,Taylor,Curtis
Best
Collingwood:Adams,Pendlebury,Howe,Sidebottom,McCreery,Josh Daicos,Maynard.
North Melbourne:Davies-Uniacke,McKay,Larkey,Anderson,Taylor.