MELBOURNE has finally overcome the Kangaroo curse that condemned it to 17 straight losses against North Melbourne, recording an impressive 37-point win at the MCG on Saturday.
The Demons had not beaten the Kangaroos since round 20, 2006, before Saturday's game, and must have wondered whether their barren run was set to continue when North kicked the opening four goals of the game before they had scored.
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However, with Jesse Hogan wreaking havoc all over the ground and the Dees' midfielders taking control of general play, Melbourne soon started to get on top.
After reclaiming the lead at the 12-minute mark of the second quarter, Melbourne was never headed, but the Kangaroos were plucky and trailed by just 19 points at three-quarter time.
Melbourne's weight of possession (399-314) and inside 50s (66-45) eventually told in the last term as it piled on six goals to three to record an impressive 18.15 (123) to 13.8 (86) victory.
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Hogan continued his outstanding start to the season, showcasing impressive endurance as he roamed far and wide to finish with 26 possessions, seven marks, five inside 50s and one goal.
With Max Gawn (18 possessions and 50 hit-outs) clearly winning his ruck contest against Todd Goldstein, Melbourne dominated the centre clearances 20-10 and contested possessions 161-126.
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Christian Petracca (25 possessions, six inside 50s and one goal) was at his brutish best rotating between the forward line and midfield, while Jordan Lewis (27 possessions and one goal) and Nathan Jones (25 possessions and seven tackles) powered the Demons' on-ball division.
Tomas Bugg led the Demons' goalkickers with four, while Jeff Garlett and Dean Kent, playing his first game for the season, kicked three.
Co-captain Jones was the only player in Melbourne's team on Saturday who had previously played in a win over North Melbourne, while the Demons have turned over eight different senior coaches and seven different official captains since that victory.
After the match, coach Simon Goodwin praised his team's ability to respond to North's fast start.
"I really liked the way we played. Clearly, the first 10 to 15 minutes wasn't ideal, but in general our starts have been really solid," Goodwin said.
"I just loved the way the guys steadied through the first quarter, didn't take quarter-time (break) to get on track, they did it in the quarter.
"After that, I thought the guys were outstanding. They played our brand of footy. We probably have to tidy up a bit of polish inside 50, but if you have 65 inside 50s, you're doing a fair bit right."
Although it bid farewell to its winning streak over Melbourne, North would have taken a lot of positives from its performance.
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The Roos tried to take the game on and were prepared to take risks by foot, kicking to attacking options through the middle of the ground, a bold approach that occasionally left the Demons exposed in their back half.
North coach Brad Scott said Melbourne had dominated the game on the back of Gawn's ruck work after quarter-time.
"We got off to a good start. We were in the right frame of mind, up for the contest and I think our effort in the contest was OK," Scott said.
"But our intensity, reaction time, effort to get across to the contest to help win the ball often enough wasn't there, certainly after quarter-time," Scott said.
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"In one respect, I thought we held up pretty well given the dominance that Melbourne showed around the contest.
"We clearly got opened up in the centre bounces, lost those 20-10, but if you take away the centre bounces we won clearances around the ground, throw-ups and ball-ins by nine, so on that side of it we were able to structure up and mitigate Gawn's dominance to some extent."
Ben Cunnington (25 possessions and two goals) led the way for North, and was well supported through the midfield by Shaun Higgins (23) and Trent Dumont (23).
Ben Brown (four goals) was again a leading light on North's forward line, taking full advantage of his height and strength edge on opponent Oscar McDonald, while Luke McDonald (21 possessions and eight marks) provided stiff resistance in defence and Ben Jacobs did well to hold star Demons midfield Clayton Oliver to 20 possessions.
Majak Daw, a late replacement for Robbie Tarrant, starred early for North in defence but faded out of the game.
WATCH: Late-in Daw ferocious in the first
MEDICAL ROOM
Melbourne: Jake Melksham copped an accidental knee to the head when North skipper Jack Ziebell leapt to gather a loose ball deep in the Dees' forward line late in the third term. Melksham came from the ground under his own steam and returned to the game soon after with his neck bandaged. Bernie Vince came from the ground late in the game with an apparent groin injury. Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said after the match Vince had merely suffered a cramp.
WATCH: Melksham cops a nasty knee
North Melbourne: The Roos lost Robbie Tarrant before the game, with the vice-captain a late withdrawal with hamstring soreness. He was replaced by Majak Daw. North coach Brad Scott said after the match Tarrant had not suffered a muscle strain, but his injury involved "a neural component". However, Scott expected the key defender would be fit for round four.
NEXT UP
The Demons have an eight-day break before taking on Hawthorn at the MCG next Sunday, having won just one of their previous 15 games against the Hawks. The Roos host Carlton in Hobart next Saturday night. The Blues will be playing at Blundstone Arena for the first time, a venue where North has compiled a strong 11-4 win-loss record since 2012.
Majak Daw watches Jesse Hogan get a kick away at the MCG. Picture: AFL Photos
MELBOURNE 3.2 9.7 12.13 18.15 (123)
NORTH MELBOURNE 5.3 8.4 10.6 13.8 (86)
GOALS
Melbourne: Bugg 4, Kent, Garlett 3, Oliver 2, Hogan, Petracca, Vince, Fritsch, Lewis, Jones
North Melbourne: Brown 4, Waite 3, Cunnington 2, Goldstein, Hartung, Simpkin, Ziebell
BEST
Melbourne: Gawn, Hogan, Petracca, Lewis, Salem, Kent
North Melbourne: Cunnington, Brown, Higgins, McDonald, Dumont
INJURIES
Melbourne: Melksham (cut head), Vince (groin)
North Melbourne: Tarrant (hamstring) late withdrawal, replaced in the selected side by Daw.
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Nicholls, Fleer, Mollison
Official crowd: 35,518 at the MCG
