1998 Premiership Season

Goals: Roberts 3, Grant 2, Hewitt 2, Abraham 2, Allison 2, Freeborn 2

Best: Roberts, Grant, Abraham

North Melbourne has won its 5th game in a row, this time easily accounting for Port in Canberra. Thanks to the Crows demolition of St Kilda North now sits second on the ladder a place that seemed impossible after being three games off the pace after the Hawthorn lose. Winston Abraham took mark of the year in the game, well hopefully he did Jeff White put up a pretty good effort as well and I can remember that great mark by Sholl last season didn't even get the nod as mark of the week. Abraham started the game getting a number of possessions around the middle.

North got the first goal of the game after Sholl kicked the ball long to the square and Shannon Grant like he has been so often in recent weeks was at the fall of the ball to put though a goal. North were a bit to Carey conscious early on, attempting to chip short to the King when it would have been better to go back and have a shot on goal themselves. Carey's first possession was used to perfection kicking around the corner to find Hewitt who kicked North's second goal. Tredrea got Port on the board and he was to prove troublesome for Mick early on, the young Port Adelaide player out bodied and out lead the North stalwart in the first term. Mark Roberts had also start the game well providing good run off Half Back. Port lifted and by mid quarter were playing much better football then the Roos, they missed a lot of opportunities though. North however was breaking down across half back and couldn't clear the ball from defence eventually resulting in a Power goal. Lockwood added another goal just before the break to sent Port in 8 points clear.

North Melbourne fans who travelled to Canberra were lucky enough to see a miracle, North actually got a free kick inside 50 and Shannon Grant had no problem converting it to get North off to a flying start. Roberts was best on ground for North he figured prominently in getting North back in front, first he popped though his first goal for a difficult angle and then he delivered a great pass to Carey who kicked his first and only goal of the morning. Brett Allison put North further in front roving a spilled Sholl mark and kicking a great rovers goal. Allison will add an extra dimension to the forward line in the weeks leading up to the finals. Carey should have had another goal a few minutes later but kicked a shocker from only 30 out right in front. North continued to press forward, Roberts and Grant just missed shots and Simpson finally kicked a goal. North dominated the second term all over the ground, on the rare occasions Port went forward they weren't a threat Martyn had now got well on top of Tredrea. One players who was down though was David King he was hardly seen in the first half after having a very strong last month. Port got a late goal but North had managed to turn the game around and lead by 32 at half time. North kicked 7.8 in the third term.

Lockwood got Port off to a flying start kicking a great goal from 50 metres out. Harvey has a chance for North but pushed the shot left. Port has come out much better after the break and North started to again struggle to clear the ball from kickouts. Port got the first two goals of the term to quickly close the gap, they should have had a few more Nick Stevens being the biggest offender wasting a number of opportunities. Port were looking dangerous again and were back within two kicks before Mark Roberts again stood up, kicking two goals in quick succession to stop the Port charge and set North on the path to another victory. Martyn was thrashing Treadrea but Lockwood was still giving Hewitt a bit of trouble and he popped up again to kick another goal. Roberts missed a goal and so to did David King. Carey was being curbed by Mead he still had an input into the game but by the high standards he's set in the last month he had a quite one. There was nothing quite when Winston Abraham took his hanger from a Carey pass , Abraham had the site on the pack coming in from the side and it was all set up for a huge fly, Winston didn't let anyone down leaping high into the air and taking the grab much to the delight of Peter Bell who had a great view of the feat. Abraham kicked the goal and North lead by 26 points at three quarter time.

North got the best possible start to the final quarter kicking a goal in the opening minute. Martyn gave away a free to Lockwood to give Port their first goal. Capuano who had come on in the third quarter was starting to play well, he was doing nicely in the ruck and took a couple of strong marks across half forward. McKernan wasn't having a brilliant day though he got his hands on the ball a number of time but was struggling to hold them. Abraham kicked his second goal of the match as North started to turn up the boost a little, Port's field kicking was terrible and North after mucking around with it a little at times got in gear in the final term and started to be direct again. David King got himself a goal after North had five players onto one as the ball came forward he could have given the ball over to Roberts in the square but he elected to kick the goal himself running in and putting it though. Glen Freeborn brought back memories of Warwick Capper jumping way to early and somehow plucking a great one handed mark out of the air. Freeborn kicked the goal and North had the match well and truly wrapped up. It's been very impressive how North has continued to work for the whole match, North had now breached the percentage gap to St Kilda thanks to its fast finishing and this game was no exception North running out the game well to win by 55 points.

Mark Roberts was best on ground with 17 kicks 10 handballs and three timely goals, Shannon Grant with 28 and 10 was also good again. North is now second with easy games against the pathetic Lions in Brisbane and Freo at the MCG (were they have never won) before a difficult final fortnight against the Crows and Footscray. It was a real team effort with 11 different goal kickers