NORTH Geelong's win over Anakie on Saturday may have come at a cost.
While the Magpies extended their winning streak to five with a hard fought 38-point win against the 'Roos, they may have lost influential midfielder Blake Hutchinson for the rest of the season.
Hutchinson was carried from the field early in the third term with a knee injury after his leg buckled under him while being tackled.
After the game, North Geelong coach Frank Fopiani said the early prognosis on Hutchinson's injury did not look good.
A big final quarter by the Magpies helped seal their win and move them a step closer to a return to finals action this season.
Fopiani was quick to sing the praises of his side to respond to the challenges Anakie threw at them all day.
"Being only three points up at three-quarter time, they had a bit of momentum going in (to the final break) so it showed a bit of character from our boys for them to stand up," Fopiani said.
"It did not matter what we won by, just so long as we won and for them to be able to walk off the ground knowing that they had done their bit for us to win the game."
North Geelong got the jump and kicked two goals inside the first three minutes.
However, the Roos soon settled and went goal-for-goal with the potent Magpies' forward line led by Paul Breguet and Todd Elsey.
With the game up for grabs, North Geelong drew away to a 23-point lead and looked like continuing its rich vein of form.
But the Anakie side of 2010 refuses to go down without a fight and the 'Roos clawed their way back.
The game was set for a grandstand finish, with both coaches imploring their players to put their bodies on the line.
But any thoughts of an Anakie upset were diminished when Adrian Carter gave away a double 50m penalty to hand North Geelong the ascendency and, ultimately, the win.
The result keeps the Magpies in third, while Anakie falls two games outside the top-five in eighth position.
Last Modified on 08/07/2010 20:10