A Jack Ziebell goal with 20 seconds on the clock saw the Western Bulldogs go down by two-points in an epic and at time fiery encounter at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.

Between the opening goal of the first and last quarters, the Dogs didn’t give up the lead, Luke Beveridge’s men playing arguably their best football of the year, hunting, swarming and snarling their way to a 24-piont lead in the second term.

At one point, Champion Data recorded the Dogs’ pressure rating at 313, 131 above the League average; the home team laying 34 first half tackles, 27 of which came in their forward half.

But despite a clear ascendancy in the first half, the Roos remained in shouting distance, and came out after the main break with intent as the mistakes began to creep into the Dogs’ game.

Beveridge’s decision to play Zaine Cordy and Aaron Naughton forward paid dividends, with Naughton especially prominent, kicking two third quarter goals and signalling that he may very well bright future in front of goal.

But Shaun Higgins, who had been well-held by Josh Dunkley in a run-with role for most of the match began to break the shackles, picking up 10 touches and kicking two of his own set stage for a thrilling final term.  

It then took just 15 seconds for North to strike and from there,  the two sides traded blows like a couple of bare knuckle boxers in a back alley.

Marcus Adams was a rock in defence, taking 12 marks in first game of the year, most of them intercepts, but the Dogs often failed to get past Majak Daw and Robbie Tarrant down the other end.  

Hayden Crozier was the pick of the littler for the second week running, collecting 30 touches and 12 rebound 50s, while mercurial forward Billy Gowers wasn’t far behind with 22 disposals, 12 marks and three goals.

The Dogs snatched back the lead with two minutes on the clock after a beautifully weighted kick from Josh Schache (17 disposals, one goal) found Gowers running into an open goal.

But the Roos went coast-to-coast in the final seconds to seal the game, and slam the door on the Bulldogs’ hope of their fifth win of the season.

WESTERN BULLDOGS      2.1   6.3    8.7   11.9 (75)                  
NORTH MELBOURNE           1.1   3.3      8.5   12.5 (77)          

GOALS

Western Bulldogs: Gowers 3, Williams 2, Naughton 2, Boyd, Wallis, Cordy, Richards
North Melbourne: Brown 5, Ziebell 3, Higgins 2, Anderson, Atley

BEST 

Western Bulldogs: Crozier, Gowers, Naughton, Adams, McLean
North Melbourne: Brown, Higgins, Daw, Cunnington, Dumont, Goldstein