North Melbourne veteran Brent Harvey burns clear of Geelong captain Joel Selwood. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: George Salpigtidis / HeraldSun
GEELONG had the futuristic Bugatti Veyron.
North Melbourne had the ageless classic, Porsche 911.
We talk of Steven Motlop and Brent Harvey, who last night took turns treating Etihad Stadium to rare moments of brilliance in a thrilling end-to-end spectacular.
The top-shelf showdown between two of the game's most electric players was at the centre of one of the year's most entertaining games.
The fact the Kangaroos won it, in more convincing fashion than the final margin would suggest, may only serve to frustrate their supporters in this "nearly-there" season.
SuperCoach scores, stats
The final score was 15.6 (96) to 13.8 (86).
North Melbourne chairman James Brayshaw declared before the game this hadn't been a wasted season for his club, but last night's result would point to the contrary.
The Roos amassed 99 more disposals and 23 more contested possessions than the Cats. They lead by 25 points 28 minutes into the second quarter and by 19 points four minutes into the last.
Not for the first time, they deserved to win a game they had controlled.
But nearly for the first time, they actually did.
Finally, North Melbourne made one stick. Like that murderous doll in those horror Child's Play films, we know Geelong just keeps coming.
But this time it wasn't enough.
On a bitterly cold and windy winter night in Melbourne, the footy was hot under the lid at Etihad.
But while Motlop and Harvey revved their engines, North would prove to have the bigger garage as Daniel Wells, Lachie Hansen and Shaun Atley drove the Roos to final siren glory.
But first, Harvey. "Boomer" went boom. He had 37 disposals, seven inside 50s and three direct score assists. He was vintage, as his 24 handball receives would attest.
Like those old Porche's, the 35-year-old still catches the eye. On his day he still runs beautifully.
Geelong let Harvey run around without an opponent in the first half and he made them pay with 24 touches.
Cue Taylor Hunt's arrival in the second half, with the Cats tagger unloading verbally and physically, but he would be run into the ground.
Motlop's 21 disposals, three goals, six inside 50s and sizzling corridor bursts were breathtaking, but he was outnumbered on the Autobahn last night.
Wells had 18 touches and four goals and quite simply, everything he did was quality. If Harvey is the evergreen Porsche, Wells is the Bentley - all class all the time.
Scott Thompson and Lachie Hansen were excellent in defence and it was their beating of Tom Hawkins - who can't be fit - and a combination of Mark Blicavs and Nathan Vardy that allowed the Roos to control the ball off half-back.
Aaron Mullett had a game-high nine rebound 50s but it was Atley who split the Cats open with his piercing runs down the middle from the back half.
This was football at its fastest.
In a first half blur, North Melbourne and Geelong combined for a remarkably efficient 17.6.
Geelong laid the foundations for a showtime night under the lid by deploying Mathew Stokes, Motlop and Travis Varcoe all inside 50m in its own version of the Carlton mosquito fleet.
It paid immediate dividends with Stoke's getting the game's first before Motlop showed his immense skill and class by kicking Geelong's next two from play-on situations.
After 12 minutes the Cats had the goals - three of the first four - but the Roos had the ball, and it wasn't long before their glut of possession told the story.
North kicked four of the last five goals of the opening term to take an eight-point lead into the first change.
The second term was a near replica of the first. Geelong got the first two through Tom Hawkins and Varcoe before the Roos hit the accelerator in spectacular fashion.
North kicked six of the last eight goals before half time, including a run of five unanswered.
They did it by removing Geelong's trademark half-back counter punch by regularly hitting up leading targets.
The "no bombing" policy starved Andrew Mackie and Corey Enright from damaging rebound opportunities and Harry Taylor and Tom Lonergan from peeling off and taking cut-off marks.
Instead the counter-attacking was coming from the Roos, who when allowed, do it with the best of them.
It was the 15 minutes that screamed speed and for a while they simply looked too quick for the Cats. Harvey was surging, Wells gliding and Shaun Atley charging.
At half-time North Melbourne lead Geelong by 20 points.
Then the Cats brought the heat. This time, North Melbourne didn't melt.
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