The Giants have improved to 2-0 and continued their premiership push as they defeated Alastair Clarkson’s Kangaroos 17.19 (121) to 13.4 (82) at ENGIE Stadium.
GWS welcomed back Finn Callaghan and Harry Perryman for the clash as Callan Ward (injured) came out of the side, with the Giants having their way through the middle of the ground and at either end.
The Roos, who battled admirably, unearthed top draftees Zane Duursma and Colby McKercher, as well as recruits Toby Pink, Zac Fisher and Dylan Stephens, for their first game of the new campaign.
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Ball barrels into sky cam mid-game! | 00:24
Nick Haynes (GWS) and Liam Shiels (NM) were the starting subs for Saturday’s clash.
MATCH UPDATES
GWS forward Jake Riccardi booted the first of the match for the Giants from a neat set shot.
Coming off his five-goal haul against Collingwood last Saturday, Callum Brown quickly snapped GWS’ second.
Star key defender Sam Taylor had four intercept marks (three contested) in the first quarter, as the Giants had their way with the Roos in the first term.
“It’s looking a little bit sorry for North at the moment,” said Jason Dunstall on Fox Footy.
However, Kangaroos draftee Zane Duursma booted the first goal of his career, getting North on the board with a much-needed major to stem GWS’ flow.
Cam Zurhaar snapped a terrific left-footed goal, but Riccardi answered with his third goal of the quarter.
GWS 4.3 (27) led the Kangaroos 2.0 (12) at quarter-time.
“They love going forward by hand, GWS, and it doesn’t have to be perfect,” Brad Johnson told Fox Footy at quarter-time.
“It’s this man again, Taylor, with an intercept mark. As soon as Sam Taylor goes near the ball, GWS are already on their bike and starting to spread to the wings, because they know he’s going to win nine out of 10 of them and be able to get the ball going in a forward direction.
“Four intercept marks in the first quarter and he’s been able to set them up quite well.”
The Giants picked up where they left off at the start of the second term, with Tom Green booting one and Aaron Cadman scoring two in a row.
However, the Roos battled back through goals from Paul Curtis, Nick Larkey and Jaidyn Stephenson.
“They’re giving the home team a scare,” said commentator Dwayne Russell.
An Eddie Ford set shot goal minimised the GWS lead to just 11 points, before Zane Duursma added his second major.
“Duursma! Showing what he can do,” exclaimed Russell as North’s promising draftee marked contested and nailed the set shot.
Collingwood great Nathan Buckley added his Duursma praise.
“Taking the mark was one thing, but going back to finish from outside 50 showed composure,” he said.
“Two goals in your first game is a fair effort … There’s a bit of Nat Fyfe in that floating across the front of a pack, and Nat Fyfe was a skinny, lanky kid who had aerial (ability) … so does Duursma.”
A late Toby Bedford goal pushed the Giants’ lead back out to 19 points at half-time.
Two goals to Jesse Hogan and a stellar snap from milestone man Josh Kelly extended GWS’ lead to 36 points after half-time.
Buckley noticed the steam had come out of the contest later in the third quarter.
“(We’re) seeing the first lull in this game – not as high transition, and you should expect that in these early rounds,” Buckley said.
“It’s so hard to maintain that intensity for four quarters.”
The Giants led the Roos by a game-high 37 points at three-quarter-time.
Hogan dobbed his sixth major almost halfway through the final stanza as GWS’ lead ballooned to 38 points.
Despite “fighting tooth and nail”, the Roos ultimately couldn’t keep pace with the Giants.
A late injury — suspected Achilles — to young defender Josh Goater soured North Melbourne’s evening further.
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