NORTH Melbourne's rollercoaster season has continued, the Roos stunning Hawthorn with a ferocious attack on the ball and the man in an intense contest to win by 20 points at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.

Just six days after losing to the 17th-placed Brisbane Lions, North found the defensive intent that had been so sorely lacking at the Gabba, chasing, tackling and harassing the reigning premier and ladder-leader relentlessly.

With spearhead Drew Petrie starring with five goals, the Roos recorded a 16.12 (108) to 13.10 (88) win that again underlines the fact that their best – even if we're still yet to see it often enough – is very good.

North's victory was its first over Hawthorn at Etihad Stadium since round six, 2006, and the Kangaroos have now beaten all of the top four sides this season.

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The Hawks' horror run with injury continued, with Brad Sewell substituted out of the game early in the first term with a right hamstring injury. Midfielder Bradley Hill was a late withdrawal before the match with knee soreness.

The Roos jumped the Hawks from the opening bounce, and Alastair Clarkson's men would have known within minutes that they were up against 'good' North.

The Hawks' class kept them in it in the first half when, despite the Roos' dominance, they were able to go into half-time just six points behind.

The game exploded into life in the third quarter, with the lead quickly changing hands four times before an incident between North's Drew Petrie and Hawthorn's Brian Lake set the Roos alight.

The Roos focused their energies on the scoreboard, kicking six goals in just 13 minutes as Hawthorn unravelled with a series of undisciplined free kicks.

When Ryan Bastinac nailed a running goal with seven minutes remaining, North's lead had blown out to 35 points.

The Hawks cut that lead to 22 points by three-quarter time, but after Sam Gibson kicked the opening goal of the final term, the Roos were able to keep them at bay with a composed defensive effort.

North coach Brad Scott said the win had been a great response by his team to the Lions' loss.

"We kept persisting and doing what I think makes us a pretty reasonable side," Scott said.

"We were just imploring our guys to keep playing our way and not go back into your shells … when we got punched we wanted to counter-punch.

"We were able to turn it around when they hit the front and get some momentum going again."

Petrie was a powerhouse, kicking five goals as the Hawks were forced to move Ryan Schoenmakers onto the rampant Roo forward halfway through the third term.

Lachlan Hansen (28 possessions and 14 marks) made a welcome return to North's defence, cutting off countless Hawthorn attacks with his intercept marking.

Levi Greenwood continued his outstanding season with 27 possessions, Nick Dal Santo had a game-high 37 possessions and Sam Wright did an outstanding job in defence on Luke Breust.

"We couldn't get the game played on our terms and we expected a desperate Kangaroos side and we prepared that way, but it's a funny thing, attitude in footy," he said.

"They were certainly on and we were slightly off, and it doesn't take much to switch around a result.

"Ultimately very early in the game the pattern was set. We worked really hard to get ourselves back in the contest, but a patch of about five goals in I think six or seven minutes in the third quarter was pretty hard to peg back in the end."

North Melbourne will look to replicate Friday night's intensity when it meets cellar-dwellers St Kilda in Hobart next Saturday, while the Hawks face an improving Adelaide at Adelaide Oval next Friday night.