The questions, instead, return to asking where was that drive from St Kilda in the first three quarters? But that sounds churlish after such a memorable win.

Loading

What is not churlish are the questions it begs of Melbourne: how did they stop in the last quarter? And, how did Clayton Oliver not score at all when he kicked across his body 35 metres out on the run with less than two minutes to go?

Most pertinently, how was it that they could give away a 6-6-6 infringement in the last eight seconds of the match when they too needed to score to win?

And then, in the confusion of the last centre bounce and the delay for setting the square before the free kick was paid, why did no Melbourne player take responsibility for being remotely near the most dangerous player on the ground?

Cat kebabs skewer North

Patrick Dangerfield didn’t rub salt in the North Melbourne wounds, he smeared garlic sauce on them.

Like a lot of people out on Saturday night who realise they’ve had enough, Dangerfield considered heading home early from the footy. Instead, he opted, as many do on a night out, to go for a kebab. He chowed down watching the rest of the game as his mates had the equivalent of tequila shots against North while he had garlic sauce dribbling down his hand waiting for his Uber.

Geelong, for a long time, have been one of the best teams for enjoying a romp. They are merciless against poor sides. Think 2011 when the Cats kicked 37 goals against Dean Bailey’s Melbourne. The win on Saturday night was not of that magnitude, but it was just as effortless.

Just as Geelong have often gorged like Dangerfield on a doner, North for a long time have been that side that is like a lamb … to the kebab man. OK, enough with the kebabs.

When does this stop for North? At what point do they make a leap? They are 17th and face a sixth successive year of finishing in the bottom two, though they might get a chance to jump a rung when they play Richmond in round 23.

This was the biggest loss of the season by any team – 101 points. It was also the second-biggest loss of Alastair Clarkson’s reign at Arden Street. It is troubling that three of his six biggest losses at the Roos have come this year. The upward trend that was expected at North is hard to find, bearing in mind this was a team that recruited veterans Luke Parker, Caleb Daniel and Jack Darling this year to provide ballast. Under Alastair Clarkson, North has an 18 per cent winning record.

North traded away their first round pick at this year’s draft – pick two at the moment – to Richmond. Pessimism about the quality of this year’s draft no doubt played into their thinking when they traded their future pick on draft night last year in exchange for Richmond’s last pick in the first round (pick 27) so they could select key position player Matt Whitlock.

The Roos knew the trade would mean they were almost certainly giving up a top-10 pick in a compromised draft, but probably anticipated they were trading away pick six, seven or eight, not pick two. You can’t know that at the time, but their history should not have made the Roos bullish of a jump up the ladder.

The fact it is Richmond that will end up with the pick is instructive. The Tigers, with a slightly bigger rump of mature players (they had eight premiership players in their team on Sunday) to North and a bunch of young kids, have defied expectations and won five games. North has not won five games in a season since 2019.

Richmond has outperformed expectations this year, which does not mean the rebuild is complete or that they will be playing finals next year (they also lost at Geelong to the Cats in round 17 by 72 points). But they do have more tangible evidence of improvement.

Nathan Buckley was right to question Clarkson’s lament that his side’s youthful midfield left it prone to games like this when they are beaten around the ball. Buckley observed the Roos did have Parker, Luke Davies-Uniacke and Jy Simpkin. They also had Tristan Xerri, one of the best few ruckmen in the competition.

The average age of Geelong’s midfield was 25.5 years. And North’s? 25.8.

Pies’ eyes on Frankston

The most important steps this weekend for Collingwood’s September campaign weren’t taken at the MCG, they were taken in Frankston.

What happened under lights at a packed Kinetic Stadium on Saturday night was more important to the finals chances of the faltering top-of-the-table side than anything that occurred against Richmond at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.

Bobby Hill, missing for personal reasons, Billy Frampton out with calf and most importantly Jordan De Goey out at length with an Achilles, all played in the VFL. This should be unremarkable, but in the context of the rest of the year was extremely important for the Magpies. It was more about the fact they played than what they did.

Loading

Collingwood, as has been partly illustrated in the past fortnight with successive losses, might be the top team, but are unlikely to win the flag without that trio.

Jeremy Howe’s absence has been similarly significant. The Pies have had four losses this year – GWS, Geelong, Gold Coast and Fremantle. Howe didn’t play in three of them and was subbed out injured in the other. Suffice to say, they need him playing if they are to win.

Collingwood have a sound method of play, a good midfield, an attack that is multi-pronged and a defensive system that suits their talented but under-sized backline.

Hill kicked two goals in the first quarter on Saturday with a sharp burst of pace, and added another before the game ended. That was enough, he will play against Brisbane this week.

Frampton is limited but structurally important and needed back in the team.

De Goey is potentially the game changer come September. He had not played a game since May 3 – that’s half a season (12 rounds). That the Magpies are on top of the ladder without a meaningful contribution from him, will give them encouragement.

Nothing he did in the game would have got anyone excited, but the fact he played a game would have. De Goey played the game like a February practice match – get match fitness and don’t get injured.

Jezza closes on ton

Geelong’s enviable draw sees them still to play Port Adelaide and Essendon (hey, Essendon is playing on a Friday night. How rare!) at Kardinia Park in the next two weeks before Sydney at the SCG and Richmond in the last round.

After 11 goals on Saturday, Jeremy Cameron now has 69 goals for the season. He should get to at least 90 goals by the end of the home and away series. The way the Cats orgy on bad teams, you could not rule out more bags like Saturday night and have him nudging three figures.

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.