AFL finals 2015: North Melbourne surge hands Richmond yet another finals loss

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NORTH MELBOURNE 1.6 6.8 11.13 15.15 (105) RICHMOND 2.3 9.3 12.3 14.4 (88)
Goals: North Melbourne: J Waite 4, B Brown 2, B Harvey 2, D Petrie 2, J MacMillan, L Thomas, R Nahas, S Higgins, T Garner. Richmond: J Riewoldt 4, C Newman 2, T Vickery 2, A Miles, B Deledio, K Lambert, K McIntosh, R Conca, S Edwards.
BEST: North Melbourne: Waite, Harvey, Jacobs, Goldstein, Swallow, Ziebell, Dal Santo. Richmond: Riewoldt, Miles, Martin, Rance, Grigg, McIntosh, Newman.
Umpires: Scott Jeffery, Brett Rosebury, Shane McInerney.
Official Crowd: 90,186 at MCG.

For years Richmond finished ninth and felt the ache of being close. Elimination finals are becoming their new ninth – they are closer yet the pain just as acute.

Jarrad Waite of the Kangaroos is congratulated by teammates after kicking a goal. Photo: Getty Images

Richmond held a one-to-two goal lead for most of this game. Then they didn't.

When North came they came in a hurry and Richmond proved powerless to hold them up. Right to the end they had their chance, right to the end North had their answer. Maybe it was the rest of a week off that gave them the fresh legs, or perhaps just the idea that they had fresh legs.

Maybe it was because North had bought wisely and their purchases delivered. This was the game Jarrad Waite was bought for. This was the game Shaun Higgins was hired to play.

Dylan Grimes of the Tigers handballs as he is tackled by Andrew Swallow of the Kangaroos. Photo: Getty Images

Brad Scott wondered if it was not the best or most important game Waite had played. He might be right. Scott didn't see all of Waite's work at Carlton but might recall a previous final he did well in as a Blue ... it was against Richmond.

Waite was the man Richmond had no one for. They asked Jake Batchelor to play on him and he was too small and not mobile enough, nor good enough in the air. They had no one else. They tried Dylan Grimes briefly but he was no better equipped than Batchelor.

Richmond had hoped the selection of Ben Griffiths would stretch North's defence in the manner that Jarrad Waite, Ben Brown and Drew Petrie stretched theirs. Griffiths had no impact and was subbed out. Waite was the dominant forward.

Scott Thompson of the Kangaroos handballs as Shane Edwards of the Tigers approaches. Photo: Getty Images

"Obviously I got onto a couple, the way we moved our ball we came here with a way to play against the Tigers and it worked for us during the year and it worked out OK today," Waite said "I feel like I have made my spot in the team. It's a good day to be out there today, 23 at the MCG on a Sunday in September. If that doesn't get you going I am not sure what will."

Waite booted the first North goal when Richmond had thundered away to the guttural urgings of an expectant yellow and black crowd. The Tigers had the early break and were surging. Then Waite delivered the sobering goal against the flow.

Richmond resettled and through Anthony Miles in the middle – six straight centre clearances for Richmond at one point in the second term – they busied about keeping North at bay.

The third term was a dazzle. The lead changed three times. Doubtless North had the energy of half the team having rested last week. The Roos owned the ball and kept it pressed forward – 21 inside 50s to six for the quarter.

Wherever Richmond went North went with them. Wherever Trent Cotchin went Ben Jacobs shadowed him. Jack Zeibell was strong at Todd Goldstein's feet and Andrew Swallow creative. The settling slow-play short Richmond kick was always taken with an element of risk. North stopped allowing Richmond to find space and composure. They had the energy to be up and into the Tigers.

"We had good self-belief we were going to have more run than the other team so [the rested players] definitely helped," Waite said. "I know I am feeling a lot better than I did two weeks ago.

"[Rested players] wasn't something we spoke about, it is just a self confidence in the team."

Richmond wanted to be hold the ball up and slow the game but North didn't let them. It was the quarter the game was won. Nick Dal Santo was horrible in the first half – four touches – and critical in the second. Brent Harvey reminded that he can win his own ball in the packs. He can also win it at stoppages and goal when Richmond leave the corridor clear at a defensive ball up and allow Goldstein to palm it into Harvey's path to goal Not for a decade or more has Brent Harvey had a game like this — 14 contested possessions, seven clearances. This was the reprise of a rover.

Richmond cussed Richmond, so good for so long then those moments of regret that undo a game and a year. Moments like Troy Chaplin trying to run around Robin Nahas. Tackled. Goal.

Or Reece Conca's last-quarter kick to Bachar Houli that splattered wide. Turnover. Goal.

Or Ty Vickery running through 50 and ignoring his man deep and bravely taking the shot. No goal. Or the perplexing free not paid to Shane Edwards for the tackle on Ben Cunnington near Richmond's goal. A minute later Lindsay Thomas goaled at the other end.

Richmond will dwell bitterly on such moments. North won't. They will dwell on the way they absorbed their early waste and had the confidence to win. They rested last week and play finals next week.