THERE was a good turnout on the team sheet and crowd for the unseasonably warm North home game as they took on Currie for the first time this season.
Abraham, Sam, and James Shires played on permit with their cousins, Jeremy, Justin, and Jye Summers, and what a difference they made to the North side.
Currie struggled for numbers an hour before the game, but by the time the game started, they had managed to gather 15 players.
Keenan Fanning and Tyler Smith contested the ruck first, with North getting the first forward entry, which was quickly retrieved by Ben Doherty for Currie, out to Tom Graham but didn’t make it past the centre with some heavy hits to open the game.
The opening minutes established a rapid pace, clean hands, and pressure football. James Shires for North got the first shot on goal for only a minor score. Kayden Barnes for Currie marked 30m out in front but sprayed it out on the full.
The hard and fast play and the game’s intensity were like the previous week, but neither team could take an accurate hit. Currie finally found a goal through Nathan Allen.
Taylor Cook to Justin Summers who ran through the centre to Fanning and into Blaze Mallinson for another shot, which was marked on the line by Currie. It was sent forward, and Jar- rod Williams (Boze) scored the goal.
Apart from a little sun in the eyes, it was perfect footballing weather, with Currie kicking straight and getting themselves a second goal while North was still unable to find the big sticks.
Blaze got North’s first on the run. The tackling pressure for the first quarter was first-class, and the match- ups were even. Currie went into the first quarter break four points ahead. North opened the second quarter quickly with a goal, followed by another. to begin the quarter.
All the play was in the North for- ward line, putting the Currie defence under pressure. Dale Ellis to Jeremy Summers (Jez) in the North for- ward line on a 45-degree angle for a behind, but the ball didn’t make it out of the Currie defence before being turned over and turned into another North goal.
Jez got another chance shortly after his behind, and this time didn’t miss. North had all the momentum in the second quarter.
Doug Cox to Jack Worrall skirted around the Currie 50 before they could only get it slightly inside to Tom Graham, who tested his full measure, but the ball was touched on the line.
Joel Williams (Mole) in a relentless tackle after the kick-in was rewarded with a free and saw it through against the flow of play.
Currie immediately got another forward entry for a poster. Dillon Beecroft had a piece of everything on Saturday. North got it quickly through the centre and caught Cur- rie’s defenders snoozing and gave James Shires a shot 30m out in front for a goal.
The play returned to a more even, contested, athletic, high-skill foot- ball midfield, but North continued to find a way forward and kicked out to a 19-point lead. Currie ran down a man in the centre, and quickly, Beecroft jet- ted off with the ball, centring to Mole, who kicked a classy goal, but North went into the long break 22 points up.
Jez opened the quarter with a behind, and Worrall got a big kick out that went straight into a contested pack and came back North’s way, but Currie’s defence mopped up again, and this time Currie got a forward entry to no avail.
Kicking, marking, and contested high balls marked the beginning of the third quarter. Ned, playing forward for North took it in the pocket and with quick feet centred to Jez who moved it for- ward to James Shires who goaled.
The Currie backline was under pressure all afternoon and held up well. Another goal for James Shires.
A game highlight occurred down the shed’s side when Tom Graham and Justin Summers engaged in a great foot race that saw North go forward for another and put North 47 points up at lemons.
North opened the last with another goal, a strength class at Finn earlier in the week obviously worked wonders…