North Melbourne has continued their impressive form after putting Greater Western Sydney to the sword with a commanding 43-point victory at their blustery home away from home, Blundstone Arena.
The strong Tasmanian breeze had a massive impact, with 19 of the 26 goals kicked to the one end of the ground, resulting in a game of massive momentum swings before the wind eventually dissipated in the fourth quarter.
It was ultimately the North Melbourne forwards who weathered the turbulent conditions best, with Jarrad Waite booting three goals in the opening term before hometown hero Ben Brown slotted five in the third to gift the Roos their fifth win of the season.
Shaun Higgins too was at his brilliant best with 28 disposals, while Jed Anderson continued his consistent form with 26 disposals and eight clearances.
With a top-eight spot up for grabs, it was ultimately North who were the eventual benefactors, leaving the depleted Giants with a lot to ponder over the week.
Armed with a gale blowing towards their scoring end, North Melbourne burst onto the scene early with five majors for the term - all of which were kicked from set shots - opposed to just the Giants' one.
While Jack Ziebell and Jed Anderson opened proceedings for the Roos with accurate kicks of their own, it was undoubtedly the evergreen Jarrad Waite who stole the show with the next three goals.
Presenting as a strong target up forward and paving the way forward for North with his intercept marks, Waite kicked true with this three straight majors to put his side 23 points up at the first change.
As North's mastery of Blundstone came to the fore through their unflappable kicking and strong midfield attack, they weren't without opposition as the Giants matched their style of play around the ground, despite being down on the scoreboard.
With just the one major from Daniel Lloyd for the term, the Giants did well to keep the Roos at bay, with the time in forward half close to evenly split by the end of the term.
But with only 10 points to their tally, GWS needed to capitalise with the howling wind entering into the next stanza of play.
Although North were in full control during the first quarter, it was all GWS come the second term, who with their six-goal term propelled themselves into the lead.
With the wind to their advantage, it took a while for the Giants to fully kick into gear, but three quick goals in a row from Rory Lobb, Harry Himmelberg and Jeremy Cameron put them well within the contest.
Dominating the inside 50 count, supporters could only marvel at the Giants' press into their forward line as the steadily slashed the 23-point deficit.
It wasn't until Zac Langdon utilised the breeze to full effect, curving the ball back through the big sticks, to finally put GWS in front for the first time since the first term.
Yet the Roos did well do minimise the potential carnage, booting two handy majors of their own to escape the term less than a goal down.
Although Waite's fourth regained the lead moments later, the Giants had an immediate reply through Sam Reid, before Cameron extended their buffer to eight points.
Cameron, like his North Melbourne counterpart in Waite in the first term, was close to unstoppable, with two goals and six score involvements by half-time.
Yet a brain fade towards to the end of the term marred what was otherwise an impressive quarter, with a reversed free kick caused by the big forward resulting in a crucial North major off the boot of Mason Wood, who up until then was yet to touch the ball.
The chance to push the lead further once again eluded the Giants, with a Heath Shaw kick after the siren feathering the upright to result in a five-point lead at half-time.
Knowing the Giants would be kicking home with the wind in the final term, a massive third term from North Melbourne was nothing short of pivotal.
And the Roos delivered, wrangling back control of the game with a whopping seven-goal quarter to set the Giants a daunting task going into the final term.
Fittingly, it was the hometown hero Ben Brown who was North's saviour, with the big forward booting five golden goals to not only regain the lead, but give his side a crucial 33-point buffer heading into the term.
Beginning with an uncharacteristic left-foot snap off the back of the pack in the opening minute of the term, Brown steadied the ship with four priceless set shots to open up the margin for the Roos.
As Jy Simpkin and Ziebell majors inflicted further pain for the Giants with goals of their own, a solitary Aiden Corr goal for visitors off the back of a seamless passage of play proved to be the only real impact they had for the term.
Smacked around the clearances, the Giants struggled to get their hands on the ball during North's commanding quarter, and were determined to change the circumstances in the closing stanza.
But with three successive behinds for the Giants opening up the term, the already imposing task was made even more so with an incredible Trent Dumont goal after eight minutes of play.
Lachlan Keeffe hit back moments later to bring the deficit back to five goals, but with the wind close to gone, the Roos managed to nullify the Giants' spark following a stunning mark and goal from Todd Goldstein.
As Wood put through his second for the day in the final seconds of the quarter, North Melbourne stormed home with a definitive 43-point victory over their deflated opposition.
North Melbourne will be on the road next Sunday as they head to Optus Stadium to face off against Fremantle, while Greater Western Sydney will be seeking redemption against the flailing Essendon on Saturday afternoon. NORTH MELBOURNE 5.4 7.5 13.8 17.10 (112)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 1.4 7.10 8.11 9.15 (69)
GOALS
North Melbourne: Brown 5, Waite 4, Wood 2, Ziebell 2, Dumont, Simpkin, Goldstein, Anderson
Greater Western Sydney: Cameron 2, Lloyd, Keeffe, Reid, Lobb, Himmelberg, Corr, Langdon
BEST
North Melbourne: Brown, Higgins, Waite, Ziebell, Anderson, McDonald, Dumont
Greater Western Sydney: Hopper, Cameron, Shiel, Coniglio, Whitfield
INJURIES
North Melbourne: Nil
Greater Western Sydney: Reid
TALKING POINTS
1. GIANT INJURY CONCERNS AND DEPTH ISSUES
As the season carries on, injuries begin to take their toll on sides without much depth.
In what has come as a surprise to many, the problem seems to have hit the Giants, with the talented list seemingly lacking depth as their injury list continues to lengthen.
For a side full of extraordinary potential, the Giants ultimately lack players to step up, with no names outside the best 22 screaming out for attention, with the exception of Jonathon Patton who lies waiting in the wings as he struggles with form.
With Sam Reid going down with a hamstring injury late in the game, GWS will have a lot to consider coming into next week's selection.
2. ROOS CONTINUE TO SURPRISE
Credit where credit is due, and the Roos were exceptional against the top-four prospects in GWS, and as reward for their efforts leapt into the top-eight.
Dominant in the midfield through the likes of Shaun Higgins, Jed Anderson and Jack Ziebell (when not playing up forward), North cruised over the top of the Giants, particularly in the terms where the wind was to their advantage.
Although a dominant GWS second term soured what was otherwise an outstanding performance for the Roos, they blue-and-white proved they have the credentials to compete with the top sides, despite their seemingly shallow list.
With a firing midfield, resolute defence and an unstoppable forward line, don't be surprised if the Roos stay in the top-eight for several weeks.
3. BLUNDSTONE ARENA UNDOUBTEDLY NORTH'S SOUTHERN FORTRESS
With the home advantage perceived by some to be dead with games being played in high-capacity stadiums, those with that mindset should strongly reconsider given North's dominance at their home away from home.
Granted, the Roos will only play one more game down south for the season, but there's no denying their second home - in another state, mind you - is one they play exceptionally well at, if not better than their actual headquarters at Etihad Stadium.
Of their 17 games played at Blundstone Arena, North Melbourne have won 13, highlighting their knowledge of the ground and the ability to play well on it, irrespective of horrendous winds and bone-rattling coldness.
The local boy, Ben Brown, plays the turf better than anyone else, with 26 goals from his 13 games played down south; 10 of which have come this season after another five-goal haul against Carlton in round four.
Even with the red-hot form of West Coast, they might be in for a challenge when they play the Roos down at Blundstone Arena in round 19.
4. LONG LIVE THE BIG FORWARDS
For all those who thought the idyllic big forwards who could turn the tide of the game in a quarter were a relic of times gone by, think again.
North are lucky enough to boast two top-shelf key forwards, with Jarrad Waite close to the form of his career and Ben Brown continually affirming his position as an elite forward.
Age seems to be just a number for Waite, whose form over the past few weeks has been sublime.
Finishing with four goals, the former Carlton forward got the Roos off the to perfect start, silencing the Giants in the opening term with three goals.
His fellow forward in Brown was equally as dangerous, giving his side a crucial advantage going into the final term - and subsequently quashing any hopes of a GWS resurgence - with an explosive five-goal term.
Currently leading the Coleman, it looks like nothing will stop the cult hero as he continues to produce bags week after week.
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