Inspired by forward Paul Curtis and midfielder Luke Davies-Uniacke (29 possessions, two goals), North won 15.10 (100) to 11.11 (77) to end a five-game losing streak. Despite enjoying their best season in seven years, North were yet to beat an opponent of note before facing the eighth-placed Bulldogs. Unlike previous winnable games when they crumbled late on, the Kangaroos fended off the desperate Bulldogs, led by captain Marcus Bontempelli and fellow star Ed Richards. The win for the Kangaroos was set up by an exhilarating first quarter from Curtis - the fourth-highest rated quarter of his career. The four-time Hawthorn premiership coach is contracted until the end of the season, but a push for change could have come with a poor end to this campaign.