1998 Premiership Season

Goals:Carey 4, McKernan 3 , Harvey 2

Best: Stevens, Carey, Archer

North Melbourne has wrapped up top spot for the first time since 1983 by wearing down the Western Bulldogs on Friday night. North trailed for most of the night but wore down the Dogs in the final frantic quarter. The Dogs got off to a good start kicked the first couple of goals. They looked dangerous but did waste a number of opportunities and North was able to settle into the game. Martin Pike and Freeborn got North's first two goals. Up forward for Footscray Cook was causing a bit of trouble, thankfully though he was woefully off target. Glen Archer was playing well in defence which was minus Mick Martyn who was a late withdrawal and replaced by Hewitt in the selected side. Footscray were double teaming Carey leaving Blakey free for North and he gathered a number of possessions early on. Hudson too was looking dangerous and he kicked his second goal just before the first break to put the Dogs up by 15 points.

Both teams were going in hard at the start of the second, The Dogs were keeping a player back in the space behind Carey, interesting North at no stage tried to send a player back to draw the defender out showing that Denis wasn't going to use all his tricks for this game. Wynd dropping back frustrated North early in the second, twice he marked uncontested in the last line of defence. Anthony Stevens was doing a lot of running as usual and was in and under for most of the night. Carey put his stamp on the game in two minutes, first he received a handball on the boundary line and slotted though the long goal from 50 and then he turned Croft inside out and ran in and slammed his second goal to put the Roo's in front. North had been sparked into action by the Captain and dominated the next 5 minutes of play without any luck before the Bulldogs were able to get a steadying goal. The Bulldogs skipped away again with Goals from Grant and Hudson after getting a 50 metre penalty. North was in trouble late in the second in not for some bad kicked from the Bulldogs the gap would have been more then the 22 points it was at half time.

North came out firing in the third Capuano just missed a set show but Harvey put North back on track snapping a good goal. This game definitely wasn't a case of just going through the motions as I believed it might of been , both sides were obviously desperate to win the game. Carey was moved up onto the ball and began to gather a number of damaging possessions. Great Pressure by Pickett who was once again a star in defence caused a turn over and lead to Corey Mckernan kicking his first of three goals for the quarter. David King hurt his knee and had to be helped off the ground which was a very worrying sign. Harvey snapped his second goal to bring North closer but again Grant steadied for the Dog's . Footscray got another one and seamed to be able to answer everytime North threatened to take the lead. Capuano got North going again after grabbing the ball from the boundary through in and finding no one in front of his quickly slammed though the goal. Carey and McKernan marked the same ball McKernan was paid it and went back and kicked the goal. The Bulldogs went forward a few times late in the term but the North defence was holding firm and at the last change North was within 8 points.

The last quarter was a classic Grant had an early chance for the Dogs but he's no Wayne Carey and failed to make the distance from 50 meters out. Pike and Bell were running hard for the Roo's as David King came back onto the ground with his knee heavily strapped. North's change from the front came from a familiar place, Wayne Carey kicked a goal on the goal line to put North within a kick and then as North got the ball out of the middle from the restart was able to mark in front on 50. Carey went back and kicked it straight through from 55 at goal post high, it was never going to miss and North were back in front. The Dogs went forward looking for Grant but he was pounced apon first by Pickett and then by Archer with two perfect tackles. Chris Grant got a couple of very soft free kicks enabling the Dogs to get back into the lead. Craig Sholl marked on 50 and bombed a goal from 55 metres out to put North back in front but once again the Dogs answered back immediately kicking a goal on the run from 65 metres. Sholl was having a big last quarter and snapped the ball into the post to bring the sides level on 94 a piece. He should have given it off really as he had Shannon Grant running for him in space. It continued to be goal for goal, Stevens kicked a long goal and Sholl hit the post again from the pocket after being in two minds as to what to do with the ball. Footscray now had three players on Carey in a desperate effort to stop the star. Robert Scott put North in front again after taking a great mark and being cleaned up by Cook. Cook was reported and Scott got 50 and the goal. Shannon Grant kicked North clear before the Dogs hit the post. Carey marked on HF and kicked a mongrel torp to the square, it wasn't a good kick but it was in a dangerous area and Harvey snapped his third goal of the game to seemingly win the Game for North. The last term however seemed to go on for ever and the Bulldogs were able to get one back to give themselves a chance. The siren went eventually though and the Roos were on top of the ladder.