1. Steady hands at the wheel

The Western Bulldogs have been wracked by injury in 2018, but there was something reassuring about how they lined up at the opening bounce on Saturday night, with Marcus Adams as a key defender and Dale Morris playing alongside him. Adams was back for his first game of the season after suffering a high-grade syndesmosis during the pre-season, while 'bionic man' Morris returned less than a fortnight after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee. Even with skipper Easton Wood missing, the Dogs' back six was terrific in the first half, keeping the Kangaroos to 3.3, their second lowest opening half of the season. Luke Beveridge threw the magnets around, with usual defenders Zaine Cordy and Aaron Naughton playing out of the forward line.



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Dale Morris was too sore to take his kick after this contest.



This is his first game since undergoing knee surgery 11 days ago. #AFLDogsNorth pic.twitter.com/kBqZWkyxOV — AFL (@AFL) June 23, 2018

2. The bark was back

The Bulldogs brought their pressure game back in the first half and it was great to see. They worried the Kangaroos with their tackling and turned up with a mindset similar to that of 2016. And they got into North's head. After Cordy marked and goalled in the second quarter, an immediate skirmish broke out, with Marley Williams clashing with Billy Gowers, who was awarded a free kick, which he converted. North full-back Robbie Tarrant had his jumper torn off in the scuffle and left the ground. And coach Brad Scott left him there for a few minutes just to cool down.

3. Entertaining footy

The second term had just about everything. There was more score review controversy when a Mason Wood shot for goal landed just short of the goal line and appeared to brush the back of teammate Jack Ziebell's leg before crossing the line. But it was ruled a behind, with Channel Seven suggesting that perhaps the score review system wasn't working, which was incorrect according to the AFL. Then to cap off the fun, Bailey Williams slotted a superb set shot from the boundary line about 40 metres out to continue the Bulldogs' surge.

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4. Hurricane Higgins

Shaun Higgins was everywhere in the third term and was almost singlehandedly responsible for dragging his side back in the game. He had 10 possessions, seven of them contested and he helped North reduce the deficit from 18 points at three-quarter time to two points at the final change. He was aggressive and niggly and even though four years have now passed, he still relishes games against his former club. His body of work this season has been outstanding and surely, he is right in the mix for All Australian selection.

No post this time!



Shaun Higgins is taking over this match.#AFLDogsNorth pic.twitter.com/XK0yMgaH9M — AFL (@AFL) June 23, 2018

5. One of the games of the year

In the end, this one was a belter. It mattered not a whit that it was low-scoring. Majak Daw and Scott Thompson shaped as the heroes for the Kangaroos with a series of intercept marks as the Dogs surged forward time and time again. However, the hero was spearhead Ben Brown, who kicked five goals, and it was his clever soccer kick that got the ball to Jack Ziebell, who soccered through the match-winner with just 20 seconds to go. It got the Kangaroos back in the eight and who knows, it might have been a few seconds of magic that elevated North Melbourne into the finals.