THE last of many desperate acts in yesterday's drawn match between North Melbourne and Sydney came 30 minutes into the final quarter. Four seconds remained on the clock.

Appropriately, it was Adam Goodes who drew breath, gathered himself one last time, and launched himself into the contest at a boundary throw-in, just 20 metres around from the Kangaroos' goals, soaring over the grappling ruckmen and thumping the ball 25 metres out of the danger area and into safe territory. Siren.

Here was such an energy-sapping, mind-draining contest that players ended up disorientated. Kangaroos Brady Rawlings and Brent Harvey thought their team had won, momentarily celebrating, just as Nathan Brown had done a week earlier in the Richmond-Bulldogs draw at the MCG.

Both teams played hard-nosed one-on-one football for 120 minutes, causing dozens of stoppages where players spilled out of packs and mauled at ground level; a finals game long before September. They were all spent at the end, so that the Swans' co-captain Brett Kirk could not quite get enough purchase on his left-footed snap shot from 25 metres at the 28-minute mark, and Michael Firrito touched it on the line to save North Melbourne — at least in the eyes of the goal umpire.

Paul Roos thought it a "fair result" and Dean Laidley was thankful to hear the siren, for his team was being mowed down from 17 points up halfway through the final term. As for the Kirk shot on goal? "I spoke to my wife (Tammy)," said Roos. "She thought it was a goal."

In a game that was not aesthetically pleasing, Goodes provided half a dozen highlights, leading hard into the spaces of the Docklands all day. The dual Brownlow medallist had endured what is known in the trade as a tough week. He responded magnificently with 21 hard-earned disposals and two goals, arguably best on the ground despite the best efforts of the dour Brady Rawlings to curtail his influence.

Coach Roos was perceived to have criticised his champion midfielder after the defeat by Geelong the previous weekend, although there is context to this. Roos had been asked by a reporter to compare the performances of Gary Ablett jnr and Goodes, and merely answered the question.

This became headlines. "I only respond to the questions," he said last night. "You try and be as honest as you can. Everyone knew that Adam had an ordinary patch last season, and everyone was making comparisons from this season to last season. There's no point in me going: 'He's going well and we're not concerned', because everyone relates it to last season. Obviously we want to get him into some form as well. Hopefully in that regard today is a watershed for him."

While some people saw Roos' comments as unusually harsh, the players apparently did not blanch. It needs to be remembered that Sydney's peer influence is, by repute, quite brutal in its assessment on Mondays. "It's all about being upfront and honest," said co-captain Kirk. "Roosy can answer the questions whichever way he likes."

Goodes was not talking to the media last night, rather pointedly. A club official explained that he did not want to buy into any controversy. His game, of course, said it all.

"You can see what Adam means to the footy team," said Roos. "With that sort of profile, and two Brownlows, there is expectation above and beyond what most players in our team put up with.

"But that's just the reality and Adam knows that. I was confident he'd respond, and he did, and now we've got to make sure he gets up again for next week."