The Northern Blues have fallen short of Coburg by 13 points in their first game of Season 2012.

Venturing out to Coburg's Mantello Holden Oval, the game was marred by an injury in the first quarter to key forward Levi Casboult. Competitive for the better part of the encounter, a flurry of 4 crucial goals against them late in the third term ultimately proved to be the difference in the 11.11 (77) to 9.10 (64) defeat.

With newly appointed co-captains Andre Gianfagna and Brent Bransgrove leading the Blues out to battle for the first time and an air of confidence drawn from results throughout the pre-season, the Northern Blues - despite a slow start - headed into the first change in front by 5 points. Though the quarter was soured by his injury, Carlton-listed forward Casboult started the game on fire booting a goal from a fantastic contested mark, but courtesy of a heavy collision with team mate Tyson Biffin, he was helped from the ground with an injury to his right knee and did not reappear.
 
Thanks to three unanswered goals in the shadow of halftime, Coburg held the slightest of margins at the main break, though the Northern Blues would have been disappointed to relinquish the lead as they dominated proceedings for the better part of the second stanza, mainly due to ruckman Nick Meese dominating the stoppages and enabling  Bransgrove, Brock McLean and Biffin to get first use of the ball.
 
Both teams were slow off the mark in the second half and it would take seven minutes for the Blues to arrest the lead from Coburg via Adam Marcon and a clever assist by Matthew Watson. In almost mirroring the second term, Coburg then tightened their grip on the contest, slamming on the next 4 goals to lead the Northern Blues by a handy 21 points at the next change.
 
With all the momentum in the final term, Coburg jumped out to an unassailable 27-point lead. However, when McLean landed one through the big sticks from outside 50 and Nick Heyne was set up by Bransgrove to run into the open goal for his second shortly after, the game was well and truly alive and a famous comeback looked possible for the Northern Blues. But a fairytale finish was not to occur, with Coburg hanging on for the first four points of the season.
 
Goals: Heyne 2, Jenkins, Toman, Lambert, Marcon, McLean, Thomas and Casboult 1
 
Best: Marcon, McLean, Biffin, Thomas, Meese, Dale
 
Major ball winners: Brock McLean racked up 30 disposals including 13 kicks, 17 handballs and 1 goal, whilst Adam Marcon chimed in with an equally impressive four-quarter effort, finishing with 27 disposals and a goal. Eamon Jenkins followed on from his solid pre-season form finding the football 21 times and big man Nick Meese stood tall around the ground managing 27 hit-outs and 13 disposals.
 
Round 2 will see the Northern Blues take on Williamstown in the Blues' first home game of 2012 at Visy Park. With both teams coming off opening round losses, there is extra emphasis on both sides notching up a win in this encounter.