Sort of forgot about the report until Sunday morning. I usually take a note pad and get my PA to take notes for me. However, my PA is doing VCE, and chose not to come. Which was a good thing for all around us, as she is chocked up with cold at the moment.
Many thanks to the people who chose to spend the afternoon with me. It made for some light entertainment from a rather frustrating and stressful game.
The game:
We started bad, North could not capitalise on it, missing some relatively easy shots. 7 scoring shots to zip, and they only led by 22. I don?t think the swans had gone too far forward of centre by this stage. Edwards and Petrie proving handy targets up forward. Ted was soon moved off the dangerous Petrie and replaced by Grundy, who did a stellar job to quell his early dominance up forward. Captain McVeigh broke the drought with set shot from just on 50. This was followed by a string of behinds to trail by 12 points.
The deck was shuffled and re-dealt at ? time. The swans came out looking like they should have ? an hour earlier. If not for the Roos failed shots on goal, they would have kept their lead but the swans slowly pegged them back, and with a Hannebery shot looking like it might be touched on the line. Backman now Forward sometimes Ruckman, LRT sailed over the pack for a great pack mark, and kicked truly to put the swans in front for the first time in the game. It was the Roos turn to kick some score in Junk time, recapturing the lead, by 2 at the main break.
3.4 and 2.6 to 1.4 and 4.4. Terrible kicking in perfect conditions under a roof.
Again the swans came out firing, snared back the lead, only to cough it up again. But a goal to McGlynn after being cleaned up by the Much bigger Firrito, and then Lewis Johnston?s first AFL from outside 50 raised the bar for kicking straight. I think young Parker may have nightmares about his set shot at goal. 2.3 to 3.3 and the swans were back in front. It really was painful to watch. Just as one team looked to take some ascendancy, the other would strike back.
Again the Roos failed to kick straight, even their captain was joining the behinds list.
Queue one Lewis Jetta, pretty much his first touch of the footy after being subbed on for Parker, he had run into the pocket and had a shot which missed. But minutes later , he got the ball from a deft tap close on the boundary line and streaked forward as only he can and kicked to Goodes in the pocket who ran in and goaled to extend the lead to our biggest in the game. That was pretty much the end of our ascendancy period and the Roos then dominated with 5 minute burst of scoring, but poor kicking would let them down again. A free to McGlynn right in front saved the day, and the swans led by 1 point with about 10 minutes to go. In a remarkable display of defence, the Swans held out the determined Roos. A Petrie mark was disallowed after he copped Grundy high. What followed was 5 mins of desperate, desperate footy. No one really managed to get an effective disposal, and with plenty of tackling and smothering, it was all too reminiscent of a game in 2005, albeit for a lesser prize. Probably one of the best afield took what would be the last mark of the game, and Reg slowly ate up what he could of the clock before setting the ball on its way, as far as possible from the goals. Siren sounds. And we all start to breath again. Terrible game, terrible win, but we?ll take the 4 points. Umpiring was a bit schmitt.

Player reviews
Mark Seaby, I want my mummy back
Rhyce Shaw, played the best game I?ve seen him play for a while. Another of the BOG?s
Jarrad McVeigh, got plenty of the ball, had some very good moments, but fell down with the dropped ball running into goal.
Dan Hannebery, a real trooper. Love the way he goes about his stuff. Had a great game.
Ryan O'Keefe, like Mcveigh got plenty of the ball, but needs to capitalise on it with better usage.
Nick Malceski, Lars Hair? get a decent haircut, and you?ll improve. Not as good as last week, but ?fair dinkum, unbelievable?!!
Josh Kennedy, a real work horse, thought he struggled s bit, only 4 clearance, but who can?t love JPK.
Craig Bird, I feel he is improve each game, his disposal is usually top notch, like an iron, warming slowly.
Tadhg Kennelly, excellent game again, played the loose man with aplomb. Those skinny little legs worked overtime.
Sam Reid, The boy can mark, and kick, just needs to get those set shots, and he?ll be a keeper!!
Ben McGlynn, 3 goals, knocked from pillar to post. End of story. Good job.
Lewis Johnston, poor guy, struggled at times, but kicked a lovely goal. You will get better!!
Jude Bolton, The work horse. Much better game than last week, could?ve been unlucky with the umps, but ?
Ted Richards, got killed in the first 5 mins by Petrie, but then went on to have a stellar game. I reckon he?s earned his Super Ted title back.
Luke Parker, Run down in front of goal, probable not his fault entirely but a good learning incentive. Shocker kick for goal. Sorry to harp on the negatives, kid got 13 touches in his 3 game. I think he had Rawlings on him ast some stage too. Tough job.
Martin Mattner, Marty, Marty you could have swallowed that ball, otherwise a terrific game.
Lewis Roberts-Thomson, as a backman, he?s pretty darn good, should get Browny next week, As Forward he does OK, as Ruckman, umm no forget it, stick to what you know.
Lewis Jetta, a little spark, a miss, a great goal assist to Goodes, and an even better tackle on a giant. We missed his speed earlier.
Alex Johnson, and other good game from the young fellow. Showing great maturity.
Adam Goodes, How many dropped marks? How many missed tackles? I think his mind is sometimes 3 plays ahead of his hands. Would make a great chess player.
Heath Grundy, Dropped a few weeks back. But playing better than ever. Had his work cut out, but held on and didn?t panic. Saving game mark.
Nick Smith, Shhh. No one knows who he is. Let?s keep it that way. He?s no good. Should be in the twos. Get rid of him. I love Smithy. In a manly way!!

North Melbourne 3.4 5.10 7.13 9.17 (71)
Sydney Swans 1.3 5.8 8.11 10.12 (72)

GOALS
North Melbourne: Petrie 3, Thompson 2, Edwards 2, Macmillan, Wells
Sydney Swans: McGlynn 3, Goodes 2, Roberts-Thomson, Reid, McVeigh, Seaby, Johnston

BEST
North Melbourne: Thompson, Swallow, Wells, Petrie, Adams, MacMillan, Goldstein
Sydney Swans: Kennelly, Shaw, Grundy, Mattner, Hannebery, Malceski, McGlynn

INJURIES
North Melbourne: Todd Goldstein (jarred elbow)
Sydney Swans: None

SUBSTITUTES
North Melbourne: Ben Cunnington replaced by Ben Speight at three quarter time
Sydney Swans: Luke Parker replaced by Lewis Jetta two minutes into the fourth quarter

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Kennedy, Dalgleish, Schmitt

Official crowd: 24,267 at Etihad Stadium