Game #957, 11/8//2007 Round 19 @ Prospect Oval
Centrals 8.7(55) def. by North 13.12(90)

"As long as it's not a blow-out I'll be happy", I said to my brother as we entered Prospect Oval. Yes, there were many Centrals supporters who expected the best team in the league to be beaten by North. A couple of months ago, Centrals handed out a 35-point defeat to North at Prospect. But in their second meeting at Prospect this year, North has returned the favour and handed Centrals a 35-point defeat.

Preparation for finals has begun at Centrals and with it comes a ramped-up training drill and the obligatory loss or two towards the end of the season. The heavy legs showed today. Centrals were flat and distinctly lacking the usual bursts of speed and general run. But this is also a game North were desperate to win. The Eagles are threatening to take third spot from North only a game and half behind them.

And as a special treat, here's Daniel Schell starring in a little sequence we've titled:

HOLDING THE BALL!
by Daniel Schell

STATS:
First win for North at their home ground against Centrals since 1997!
Centrals still maintain an almost comical dominance over North: North has only 3 wins over Centrals in the last 11 years or so, including a record 18 losses on the trot to the mighty Dogs. It's hard to imagine a club being more deserving of the title "our bitches".