Port Adelaide trial game at Football park Feb 13th 98

Best Carey, Grant Abraham

North Melbourne won the Ansett Cup Grand Final last night by 14 points over a fading St Kilda side in front of 64,000 people at Waverly park. The game started at a furious pace, all of St Kildas players took the field except for Jason Heatley and the big crowd was expecting a close and hard fought contest. The match-ups were a bit different then usual. Bell tagged Bourke, Pike was on Harvey and Rock started on the bench.

St Kilda started the better, Rod Keogh kicking the Saints first goal. North only had one chance in the first 10 minutes, it came to Wayne Carey but he was off line and just scraped his shot in for a point. The saints quickly got out to a lead, Sierakowski and Loewe getting the scoreboard ticking over for the Saints. North has started slowly in all of its Ansett Cup matches so it wasn't too much to get alarmed about at that stage. Blakey (playing a record equalling 32nd pre-season game) got North rolling with our first. Winston Abraham then bombed a huge goal from about 55 metres out from a free kick to put North within a goal of the Saints. Carey has another chance a few minutes later but missed, his kicking in the first half was shocking but he was to make up for it later in the game. Shannon Grant and then Blakey again goaled North had kicked 4 goals in five minutes to take the lead at quarter time. For North Abraham and Grant were playing well and for St Kilda Loewe was looking dangerous up forward and Aussie Jones was cutting North up when he got the ball.

North had the better of play early in the second but Carey, then Simpson and then Abraham all missed easy shots to let the Saints off the hook. North finally converted their domination into a goal when Abraham spotted Carey unmarked in the square and popped it over to him for a goal. St Kilda started to lift the tempo though and soon got the goal back though Stuart Loewe. Anthony Rock, who had spent the whole of the first term on the bench came onto the ground for the first but it didn't stop the Saints who kicked the next four goals of the game. North looked flat and their manning up was terrible, their seemed to be free St Kilda players everywhere. Just when St Kilda threatened to run away with the game North again steadied just before half time. They didn't take control of the game but they stopped the Saints scoring and Craig Shoal put though a goal just before half time to get North within 20 at the main break.

The start of the second half was a though contest, both sides throwing everything at each other, the first goal was vital to both sides but neither club could manage a goal. A piece of individual brilliance by Aussie Jones finally opened the scoring in the third quarter about 10 minutes in. Barry Hall followed up with another soon after to get the Saints out to a 34 point lead. Barry Hall didn't do much else in the game, except try and start Michael Martyn, Hall has so much trouble remembering what sport he's playing he had to have footballs painted on each hand just to remind him. Winston Abraham was playing another good game and he kicked his second to keep the Kangaroos in touch, Robert Scott followed soon after and North again looked a chance. Abraham got the next goal after taking a great diving mark across a pack. Shannon Grant set him up, Grant had by far his best game in Blue and White his kicking to the leading forwards in particular was great. A lot like Jarman spearing the ball into Dunstall. North had lifted all over the ground, when St Kilda did go forward Byron Pickett or one of the other defenders repelled the attack. Pickett was also playing another good game, and its likely North will have to Aboriginal stars playing every game this year if the pairs Ansett Cup form can be sustained.

Harvey had been very quite after quarter time, apparently he was injured by Pickett in a bump early in the game, and he and Pike made sure that the shoulder stayed sore though- out the game. There was no other score in the third term but Importantly North had fought back from the edge of despair to be within striking distance at three quarter time.

Carey got North going in the final term, he kicked a 65 metre torp that had the North fans roaring. Carey kicked another from an Abraham pass and North were right back within 2 points. Evan Hewitt had the chance to put North into the lead but just missed from outside 50. Peter Everitt who hadn't done much all night bobbed out to kick the Saints a goal and give them a hope of hanging in there. Carey soon snuffed out those hopes with a great mark going back with the flight of the ball. It rekindled memories of the Carey of 95 when a 100% fit Carey used to throw himself into every pack. Carey kicked the goal and North was poised for the killer blow. That too was delivered by Carey he got the ball about 40 out and leisurely bounced the ball all the way to the square before popping the goal though.

The game was all North now, The Saints had stopped another Grand Final loss staring them in the face, Shannon Grant capped off his great game by kicking the last goal after taking a hand ball from Wayne Carey. It was a fitting end to the game as Grant and Carey were the best two players on the ground. Carey won the Michael Tuck medal for best on the ground (an award won by Michael Martyn in 95) and North got another piece of silverware for the cabinet, which I think needs expanding, if anyone reading this hasn't seen it, its a tiny little thing crammed full of cups. North have now won five Night premierships to go with their three Day Premierships.