Kangaroos stroll past Bulldogs

North Melbourne have all but secured September football with a 50-point win over a lukewarm Western Bulldogs side.

The Kangaroos’ 12th win of the season was bookended by four straight goals to start the match and three to finish it, winning 17.9 (111) to 8.13 (61) at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Brent Harvey impressed early, before North’s midfield leaders Andrew Swallow and Levi Greenwood strangled the game.

The pair shared 20 tackles and 18 clearances as the Kangaroos matched the battle-hardened Bulldogs for contested possessions.

The Bulldogs weren’t without their chances, kicking 4.6 to roar back into the contest in the second term.

Rising Star favourite Marcus Bontempelli had a powerhouse quarter, with 11 touches and two goals as the Bulldogs looked to make up ground.

But the Kangaroos finished by far the better side, with Ben Cunnington kicking their last four goals of the game, including one after the siren, to close out a strong win.

Coach Brad Scott hailed a comfortable result but said earning it was tougher going than it looked.

“We certainly weren’t cruising, they’re a much better side than where they sit on the ladder,” Scott said.

“We kicked a few goals to blow the margin out but it certainly didn’t feel like a 50 point win.”

Most importantly, the win keeps North Melbourne clear of a mass of clubs chasing the last spots in the top eight.

With 48 points, only two losses and a huge percentage turnaround will keep the Kangaroos from playing in the finals.

While Jack Ziebell was subbed out of the game late with a knee complaint, Scott reported Ziebell did not believe the injury was serious.

One player who could be in trouble is Daniel Wells, who showed glimpses of his elite skill in his first game since round five but also appeared to make high contact while bumping Shaun Higgins.

A concern of an entirely type came in the second term, when Drew Petrie appear to dive for a crucial free-kick.

Two weeks after Petrie’s team-mate Lindsay Thomas was reprimanded by Scott for a swan dive, the Kangaroos could get a reputation with more efforts like this.

Scott appeared less concerned with the Petrie incident, saying there was no culture of staging at Arden Street.

“I’d prefer the umpires don’t pay them, and the players will stop staging for them,” he said.

“We don’t want that to be part of our repertoire.”

Bulldogs boss Brendan McCartney lamented missed opportunities to take the lead in the second quarter.

“There were three or four times we got of the canvas and ground our way back into the game,” he said.

“It was a hard day’s work.”

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