AFL Media
The Bulldogs' win was an excellent response to their surprise round three loss to Fremantle and improved their record to 3-1.
Luke Dahlhaus (32 possessions, six tackles and two goals) was outstanding for the Bulldogs, while Marcus Bontempelli helped kick-start the Dogs' comeback with 10 third-quarter possessions just as North was threatening to run away with the game.
Matt Suckling (26 possessions and two goals) provided an avenue to goal when the Bulldogs' scoring had dried up, while Jack Macrae was influential through the midfield and Matthew Boyd and Robert Murphy were resolute in defence.
Best: Dahlhaus, Bontempelli, M.Boyd, Macrae, Stringer, Murphy
- Nick Bowen
Herald Sun
Luke Dahlhaus was outstanding for the Dogs, Marcus Bontempelli once more took control of a game in a second half, Toby McLean and Lin Jong showed even more maturity, and Liam Picken showed he is almost indestructible again.
However the Dogs were pushed every step of the way. North Melbourne had waited almost 25 years to be a part of the first Good Friday match, and they fought tooth and nail, even if their end reward was nil in terms of the ladder.
But, just as Stringer predicted early, the Dogs were the ones to get the chocolates — albeit narrowly — on a day that the football calendar changed forever.
Best: Dahlhaus, Bontempelli, McLean, Jong, Suckling, Picken, Macrae, Stringer, Murphy
- Glenn Mcfarlane
The Age
Seeking to rebound after a shock loss to Fremantle, Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge lamented through the week that his team had been playing in "spits and spurts".
Well, there was certainly plenty of spitting – perhaps in disgust – in the first half of the historic Good Friday clash at Etihad Stadium, with the Dogs managing just two goals, and trailing by 11 points at the main break.
That deficit would become 29 when the Kangaroos opened the third term with three majors, but when the Dogs' "spurt" finally came, with five straight goals and the lead late in the quarter, this was suddenly the side which stormed to last year's premiership.
VOTES
8: Luke Dahlhaus (Western Bulldogs)
8: Ben Cunnington (North Melbourne)
8: Ben Brown (North Melbourne)
7: Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
7: Jack Ziebell (North Melbourne)
- Jon Pierik
