HAVING travelled across the country the previous week to put in a respectable performance against a strong West Coast Eagles outfit, the Power returned to AAMI Stadium to take on the travelling Kangaroos, who have shown some strong form in the lead-up to this match.
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The Power surprised by dropping Daniel Motlop on the Thursday night team selection, then also shed Michael Pettigrew on the Friday night team selection, bringing in Andrew Moore and David Rodan.
The Power suffered a major blow on the Saturday afternoon, losing warrior ruckman Dean Brogan, and bringing in Matt Lobbe from outside the squad for his first game for the year following a bad shoulder injury over the preseason. Starting on the bench for the Power was Kane Cornes, Matt Thomas and Andrew Moore, with David Rodan the substitute for the day.
Matt Lobbe, the last minute call-up for the injured Brogan, came into the side and stared in the middle, helping win the first clearance. From there the Kangas ran the ball super-quick through the wing, with Harvey opening scoring for the game.
A strong mark and long kick saw Stewart kick the first point of the game, as his long-range shot at goal ricocheted off the post. A hard effort at the ball saw Moore awarded a free kick inside 50 and his set shot was straight as a die over the goal umpire’s hat to boot the first goal of the day for the Power.
Pittard jagged his hamstring delivering the ball through the corridor, with Rodan warming up accordingly to come on as an early substitute as Westhoff missed a set shot at goal.
A lovely piece of play along following a holding free kick in favour of Westhoff along the wing saw Phillips move the ball quickly to Schulz who was able to pinpoint the ball to Gray at the top of the square, and his set shot made no mistake. Greenwood answered soon after for North with a snap around the body, then Ziebell bombed one long from the 50 metre arc to give North back the lead in a free-flowing game.
Strong work out from the bounce saw Boak deliver the ball to Schulz, whose set shot was accurate from long distance, wresting the lead back for the Power.
Lobbe’s impressive first term continued as he bombed long to where Westhoff took a strong mark, went back and kicked truly as the Power looked up and about early on. Moore had another shot on goal from distance but was wayward, then Btroadbent gave away a silly 50 metre penalty, gifting Adams a certain goal.
A lack of talk between Thomas and Broadbent saw the ball kicked long, with Petrie taking a strong contested grab opposed to Chaplin, and he kicked truly to give North back the lead in a see-sawing first term.
Some terrific ball movement with Broadbent charging through the centre saw Schulz on the end of a Rodan chip, and his kick went straight through the middle.
QUARTER-TIME: 5.3.33 to 5.0.30. Goals: Schulz 2, Westhoff, Moore, Gray. Possessions: Lobbe 7, Jacobs, Cornes, Pearce all with 6, Broadbent, Chaplin, Gray, Moore and Trengove all with 5.
The first term began strongly once more for Lobbe, who continued to impress in the square and around the ground.
After three minutes, North got a goal after another errant kick from Jacobs saw a turnover inside the centre square, and North streamed forward - Thomas earned a free deep forward, then a 50, and kicked truly.
Nice ball movement along the wing though Boak then Broadbent saw Phillips take a mark under pressure, with a push following the completion of the mark earning a 50m penalty and a certain goal for the small forward.
Some desperation from the Power and strong tackling and defensive pressure from Rodan saw the ball turned over outside the 50 - by the time he got the ball back he was around the top of the goal and kicked truly with a snap.
Petrie pulled in a spectacular one-hander and kicked truly to make it a 1 point game midway through the second term in a free-flowing, entertaining game that was seeing 2 teams really go hammer and tongs at one another, before missing a set shot that would’ve seen the eighth lead change for the game.
A strong contested grab by Edwards saw him execute that lead change with his long shot on goal sailing true, the Goldstein kicked truly to make it an eleven point lead early in time-on of the second term, with Harvey snapping another soon after.
Schulz took another Mark of the Year contender at the 24 minute mark, but the Power were struggling to get the ball inside attacking 50, but when it did come in the defensive intensity was strong, holding it in there late in the term, and after tit-for-tat free kicks for blocking, Hartlett drilled the ball to Stewart. He snuck it in.
Boomer Harvey got another to answer it almost immediately, then Wells snapped around the body to push the lead out to the biggest margin of the day.
Schulz took a mark just prior to the siren, with his kick from a tough angle perfect to make it a 3 goal lead to North in a tight and entertaining contest to finish Round 14.
HALF TIME: 9.4.52 to 12.4.76. Goals: Schulz 3, Moore, Gray, Westhoff, Phillips, Rodan, Stewart. Possessions: Chaplin, Cornes and Trengove 13, Boak and Pearce 12, Jacobs 10, Broadbent, Cassisi, Lobbe all 9.
In a reversal of the norm, the Power were losing on the contested possessions and yet well up on uncontested possessions - and from the centre bounce the Kangaroos cleared it quickly with a quick kick forward seeing Swallow in the right place at the back of the pack, kicking another goal.
Thomas answered it with a nice kick following a clever bit of work from Rodan, who took a mark outside 50 then dragged his man wide, allowing Thomas to run in behind him to goal. North answered with 2 quick goals to extend their lead once more.
After an insurmountable time of North bombing it forward, the Power was able to run it out of the defence, with Rodan earning a free kick inside 50 after several basic errors, but his shot on goal hit the post.
Hartlett took a strong mark at the 14 minute mark, but North were really beginning to dominate on the scoreboard, with Petrie seemingly unstoppable up forward as he took contested grab after contested grab, kicking truly twice for the quarter.
Some super-clever work by Petrie saw Pedersen allowed to waltz into an open goal, and the game was blowing out late in the third term, with North jumping out to a 50 point lead close to three-quarter time.
THREE QUARTER TIME: 10.5.65 to 18.8.116. Goals: Schulz 3, Moore, Gray, Westhoff, Phillips, Rodan, Stewart, Thomas. Possessions: Cornes 19, Chaplin 17, Cassisi and Trengove 16, Pearce 15, Rodan 14, Gray, Jacobs and Broadbent 13.
Once more, North were able to clear the centre congestion from the first bounce, immediately charging forward with Anthony kicking a goal within the first minute of the term.
Greenwood kicked another very easy goal for North within minutes, in what was fast turning out a rout, with the Power simply not able to run at the same level or play with the same intensity as the Kangaroos.
After an interminable wait, Phillips was finally able to kick his second goal of the game, and only the second Power goal in the second half, after taking a mark and going back from straight in front to kick truly.
Thomas earned a 50m penalty after gaining a relayed free from deep in North’s forward half - he made no mistake with his kick, booting his second for the game.
A nice long kick by Pearce after some longed-for run and carry saw Schulz lead strongly, but his kick slewed right.
Hartlett took a strong mark then kicked truly from a tight angle, but in a serious blow came off shortly after nursing his shoulder following a smother attempt.
The Kangaroos ability to rebound effectively and run forward with men nowhere near them was extraordinary, with Pedersen the beneficiary and able to make it a 50 point margin once more.
Rodan roved the spillage of a pack beautifully, kicking his second for the game, but North were simply far too strong on the day, running out convincing winners.
FINAL SCORE: 14.7.91 to 21.10.136
Goals: Schulz 3, Phillips 2, Thomas 2, Rodan 2, Moore, Gray, Westhoff, Stewart, Hartlett.
Crowd: 17,275
