Best on ground honours was a pretty easy call after the dominant performance of goal-kicking ace Josh Kennedy.

The dual Coleman medallist hit the scoreboard hard and was at his best in the first half when the heat was really on.

Kennedy kicked five of his seven goals in the opening two terms and was a constant menace for a North defence that struggled to find a match up in the absence of Scott Thompson.

The star Eagle kicked 7.0, including his 600^th career goal with a clever left-foot snap early in the third quarter to ensure the hosts kept the momentum building.

He took eight marks – six of them inside the attacking 50 – and was a ubiquitous presence forward of centre.